TV Producer Dies After E-Cigarette Explodes & Burns 80% Of His Body

A freak accident leads to an unfortunate death.

BYDavid Saric
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A former CNBC producer has passed away after his e-cigarette exploded and became lodged in his skull, according to a newly released autopsy. 

Tallmadge Wakeman D'Elia died on Cinco de Mayo in St. Petersburg after his vape pen burst into flames in his bedroom. The autopsy revealed that not only had the device exploded and started a fire, it somehow made a projectile wound in D'Elia's skull. 

The man, who was 38 years-old when he passed away, used an unregulated e-cigarette that was manufactured in the Philippines. It still remains unclear as to what prompted the pen to combust in the first place; however, shoddy manufacturing may be an option. 

FEMA, a company that routinely keeps statistics on e-cigarettes and other vaping devices, reports that D'Elia's death is the first of its kind in the United States. 


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