Photos: Texas Rep. Tony Tinderholt shatters wrist after falling off hoverboard

State Rep. Tony Tinderholt shattered his wrist during his first hoverboard ride. Click through to see photos of the gruesome injury. State Rep. Tony Tinderholt shattered his wrist during his first hoverboard ride. Click through to see photos of the gruesome injury. Photo: Tony Tinderhold Photo: Tony Tinderhold Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Photos: Texas Rep. Tony Tinderholt shatters wrist after falling off hoverboard 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

What was supposed to be a nice gift from a family member ended up sending a Texas lawmaker to the hospital.

State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, 46, was home alone on July 28 testing out a new hoverboard he had received, when he fell off the popular self-balancing scooter while going down a slight slope in his driveway.

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"I totally ruined my entire joint of my left hand," Tinderholt told Chron.com "It took more than five hours of surgery to fix."

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Tinderholt was treated at Medical City Arlington where doctors told him they've seen many injuries from hoverboard riding. He will be in a cast for at least 12 weeks. Luckily Tinderholt's right handed and will return to work this week - the Texas legislature is in special session.

"I used to jump out of planes for the army but this is pretty intense," said Tinderholt, who served 21 years in the military and retired as a major. "I thought that this was a small little toy. Those motors on them, they go, it just takes off. I want people to know how dangerous they are."

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Hoverboards have been plagued with problems since the first gained prominence, mostly thanks to their tendency to catch fire or explode.

Tinderholt hasn't decided the fate of his hoverboard but chances are it's going in the trash so no one else in his family is injured.