Hoverboard fire causes tragic death for 3-year-old and firefighter

A massive fire off of  Lexington Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Saturday caused by a charging hoverboard, claimed the lives of two people.

A 3-year-old little girl, Ashanti Hughes, who suffered from severe burns, lost her life after getting caught in the fire. Fire Lt. Dennis DeVoe was also killed. He was driving to the scene of the fire when his vehicle was struck by 19-year-old Khanyae Kendall. Kendall was reportedly driving a stolen vehicle when she fled the scene. She was later charged with DUI, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, and an accident involving injury.

Two additional girls who were in the home remain hospitalized in critical condition.  A man and his teenage son have been treated for their injuries and released.

Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline reported that the fire started on Friday night after sparks began to fly from a hoverboard, which was plugged in and recharging on the first floor of the residence.  Noting that hoverboards have been implicated in other fires.

“They heard some sizzling and crackling in the hoverboard and shortly thereafter, it exploded in flames.”

Little Ashanti’s family is devastated.  Her grandfather, Mark Hughes, said, “My granddaughter, I can’t replace her. The pain is so deep. I’m so hurt. My soul is hurt.”

Lt. Dennis DeVoe was a married, 21-year veteran with the fire department.  Chief Enterline said he was a leader in our department and the fire service as a whole.”   DeVoe and his wife are the parents of four children, according to PennLive.

Thee entire night was one of tragedy. Harrisburg Police say that DeVoe had just left a funeral for a fellow firefighter who died of cancer, and was on his way to the fire station to get his gear to respond to the hoverboard fire, when he was struck and killed by the drunk driver.

[Feature Photo: Facebook]