A Washington teen was hospitalized with serious injuries after a plastic bottle thrown from a passing vehicle in Vancouver exploded in her hands as she tried to throw it away, police said.

Kristeanna Fortner, 13, was out dog walking Saturday night near Fort Vancouver Way and East 26th Avenue when a man in a green SUV tossed the projectile near the girl, her mother told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

"She picked it up to throw it in the trash," Ashli Fortner of Longview said. "At that point the bottle exploded."

The blast sent a shard of plastic shrapnel into Kristeanna's forearm and ripped open both her hands, Ashli Fortner said.

A neighbor called 911 and the blood-streaked girl was rushed to an area hospital for treatment, which included stitches. Kristeanna was released later that evening, her mother said.

"She's still nervous and scared," Ashli Fortner said.

Authorities told Ashli Fortner they believe the makeshift bomb was created using dry ice and water sealed inside the plastic bottle, a well-known technique for fashioning crude explosive devices, she said.

Pressure created when the dry ice, which is solid carbon dioxide, turns to gas can trigger a powerful blast.

Arson investigators with the Vancouver Police Department investigated the scene Saturday and collected video footage captured in the area, authorities said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Vancouver police.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaugh