By CRISTINA JANNEY and JAMES BELL
Hays Post
A GoFundMe account has been created for a young Hays man who was injured in a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July.
Erik Kreutzer, 20, of Hays was injured when a mortar exploded in his right hand. He was flown to Wichita via LifeFlight for emergency surgery.
Doctors were forced to amputate the two middle fingers from Erik's right hand. He also had minor shrapnel injuries to his arms and legs.
Erik's father, Doug Kreutzer, said Erik was back home Wednesday recovering from his injury. Doctors said he should make a recovery with his hand healing within about six months, Doug said.
Erik is right handed, but doctors hope he will be able to write again with physical therapy.
"It was just an unfortunate accident," Doug Kreutzer said. "Fireworks, they're fun, but they do have their dangers."
Doug added he hopes everyone will be careful when handling fireworks.
Erik is a student at Fort Hays State University, majoring in computer science.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the GoFundMe account had raised $7,095 toward a $10,000 goal. The money raised on this page will help cover the Kreutzer family's medical expenses and other critical costs during Erik's recovery.
The Hays Police Department received 38 fireworks complaints during the holiday, most of which were reported on the Fourth of July. Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said the number of complaints have followed the same trend for the last five years.
"Most of the complaints came in after 11 o'clock," Scheibler said. "The community has a great deal of patience. The commission has set the time period on the second, third and fourth from 10 in the morning to 11 at night.
"Most people are pretty good about that, but we always struggle on the Fourth," he said.
He said that is in part to people attempting to shoot fireworks after the community display.
"We always know that is going to be a problem," Scheibler said.