Man dies after vape pen explodes in his face, severing major neck artery

A Texas man died after a vape pen he was using exploded in his face, severing a major artery in his neck.

William Brown was killed after his “left internal carotid artery was dissected due to penetrating trauma from an exploding vaporizer pen,” according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office.

Speaking with WFAA News, the 24-year-old’s grandmother said Brown had borrowed her car to run some errands, including stopping by a vape shop.

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“He popped it and it exploded, and that’s when it shot across his mouth,” Alice Brown said.

The grandmother said the incident happened while her grandson sat parked in her car. Alice explained the vape pen battery exploded, sending shrapnel throughout the car, lodging debris in Brown’s neck. Covered in blood, her grandson searched for help and was eventually taken to a hospital, where he died two days later.

“When they x-rayed him, they found the stem, the metal embedded to where the blood flows up to the brain,” the grandmother said. “I miss him already, and knowing he won’t open that door and come through it ever again is the hardest part.”

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She said Brown had purchased a vape pen from Smoke and Vape DZ, but shop employees told CBS 11 News the man didn’t purchase anything from the store.

The store manager told the news station Brown was looking for assistance with using a Mechanical Mod style vape pen, a brand the store doesn’t sell.

Brown, who would have been 25 years old this month, is believed to be the second person killed in the U.S. by an exploding electronic cigarette.

According to WFAA News, a man in Florida died last year after a vape pen exploded, sending debris into his skull.