Autopsy finds Tallmadge D’Elia died from projectile wound to head, in first such case in US

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A Florida man died when a vape pen exploded, sending fragments into his head and starting a fire that burned most of his body, an autopsy report has said.

The case is the first in the US where a vape pen has been held responsible. The report said Tallmadge D’Elia, 38, of St Petersburg, was killed on 5 May by a “projectile wound of the head” after the explosion sent two pieces of the vape pen into his cranium.

He also suffered burns on about 80% of his body. Firefighters found extensive fire damage in D’Elia’s bedroom, where his body was discovered, but minimal smoke, the report said.

Such accidents are not unheard of: according to a US fire administration report, at least 195 electronic cigarettes exploded or caught fire from 2009 to 2016, causing 133 injuries, 38 of them severe.



The vape in the Florida case was manufactured by the Philippines-based Smok-E Mountain. A company representative told the Tampa Bay-based WFTS News that its devices did not explode. The representative said an atomizer – the part a person inserts into their mouth – or a battery was probably to blame.

The company said it had had problems with other firms cloning its batteries, which made its devices less safe.



The US Food and Drug Administration has said it is not clear what causes some vape pens to explode, but it could stem from battery-related issues.