Hoverboard could not only get users fined if they use it in New York City or arrested if they use it inside the airport like what happened to rapper Whiz Khalifa. It could do more damage, a birthday boy discovered.
In the case of 12-year-old Hayden Carbo of Louisiana, the hoverboard that he got as birthday present exploded the next day and burned his family house, the New York Daily News reported on Monday.
Jessica Horne, mother of Hayden, who purchased the electronic skateboard, says the explosion was like a firework. She saw sparks flying and the house burned before she could ask for help, according to WGNO. Hayden confirms, saying, "When it happened, I couldn't believe it. It was hard to put out because it was pretty big. It caught flames fast."
Jessica bought the lithium battery-powered hoverboard from Amazon. It was made by Fit Turbo. Hayden plugged it for recharging when the new toy burst into flames.
While hoverboards have caused 21 injuries since September, excluding Hayden, the 20 were hurt because they fell from it, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Patty Davis, spokesman of the commission, advised hoverboard owners to follow the manufacturer's instructions when using and charging.
But ABC reports that a similar incident happened in November at Kent in the UK, prompting the London Fire Brigade to tweet a warning about proper charging of the electronic toy.
After seeing the video of the burnt house and hoverboard, Tyrone Kitchen wrote on the Comments section of YouTube that he is second thoughts about buying a hoverboard.