A pumpkin cannon exploded in Delaware on Sunday, leaving a woman critically injured.
The 39-year-old woman suffered critical injuries after a cannon used to launch pumpkins into the air exploded at the outdoor Punkin Chunkin’ competition in Bridgeville, Delaware, The Associated Press reported.
In the competition, contestants launch “pumpkins from homemade contraptions, many of which are air-powered with long cannons and hauled on the back of trucks,” the AP noted.
A 56-year-old man was also injured in the explosion, but his injuries were considered non-life threatening.
Police are investigating what happened and how a glitch in the launch occurred. Police say a trap door where the pumpkins are loaded into the cannon “separated upon the launch of the pumpkin,” which blew debris into the air, ultimately "striking the woman in the head and face," the AP noted.
David Aronson, who was also at the competition, described the debris as “the size of a car door.”
“It arcs down on this woman who is running away as it hits her,” he said, according to the AP.
The woman, who has yet to be identified, was treated at the scene before being taken to a local hospital, where she was said to be in critical condition, The Daily Mail noted.
The competition has been cancelled the past two years because of insurance issues. A Sussex County farmer stopped making his property available for the contest in 2014 after a volunteer was injured in an ATV accident, The Daily Mail noted. The individual then filed a lawsuit, which prompted the farmer to shut things down until an insurance policy was added to cover the event.
According to The Washington Post, pumpkin-launching competitions, which feature long range air-powered cannons, have existed for years throughout the U.S., and along with the pumpkin launch the event also includes tailgating, chili cook-offs and a beauty pageant.
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