Pregnant mother, husband and young daughter severely injured in illegal fireworks show on Long Island
PORT JEFFERSON STATION, N.Y. -- A pregnant mother, her husband and their 8-year-old daughter all suffered severe injuries at an illegal fireworks show on Long Island on July 4.
Foxrun Court in Port Jefferson Station is still littered with the aftermath of a July 4th illegal fireworks show that went terribly wrong.
Now there's an effort to help the family.
Family undergoes multiple surgeries after Long Island fireworks accident
Ashley Ambroise, her husband Patrice and their daughter Amelia have been through repeated surgeries.
"Whoever did this ruined three people's lives for... forever," said Ashley Ambroise, who is nine months pregnant.
She said Patrice has a hole in his leg and severe burns, while Amelia had part of her heel blown off.
As for Ashley, she said, "I have a hole in my hand ... I lost 100 percent hearing function in my right ear and 80-something percent in my left ear."
Stephanie Belkin, a friend of the family, is now trying to help them, setting up donations through MealTrain.com and correcting the record after police first listed some of their injuries as minor.
"Our injuries are not minor in any way. My husband may not walk again, I might not hear again and my poor 8-year-old daughter will walk with a limp," Ashley said.
"It was like a war zone"
Video shows the moment celebration turned to horror. A firework is shot off, but doesn't explode in the sky. People can be heard asking, "Where'd it go?" In another video, an explosion can be heard off camera. It appears a mortar misfired, striking several in the crowd.
In another video, Patrice is seen laying on the ground with a bloody leg, saying, "Get my wife! Get my wife!"
"It was like a war zone. They heard screaming and, and, and people were on fire," Belkin said.
There have been no arrests.
"I don't even understand how somebody would be able to get a 12-inch mortar on a residential block ... It's not like everyone was at a safe distance. They didn't block it off. It was just horrible," Belkin said.
At the address police list as the fireworks location, a resident declined comment.
Residents say an illegal fireworks display has been going on there for years.
Suffolk police say their investigation continues.