Madison Lewis: Texas teen dies of severe burns in a tragic accident after man throws gas on backyard fire

JACKSBORO, TEXAS: A tragic accident claimed the life of a 17-year-old girl in Texas who died from severe burns after a man threw gasoline on a backyard fire.

Madison Lewis, a senior at Jacksboro High School, was described by her friends and family as a "cheerful and loving person."

How did the accident take place?

According to the Jacksboro Police Department, the incident occurred on December 16, around 12.15 am, at a home in Jacksboro, where Lewis was with some other people.

There was a small fire burning inside a metal barrel, and a 23-year-old man, Sebastian Lindsey, decided to make it bigger by throwing a can of gasoline on it, according to Fox 4.

"I thought it was a cup at first, but now I found out that it was an actual pan full of gasoline into the barrel, and they say that it just exploded and just went in her direction," Lewis' mother, Ericca Hammond, said previously.

Madison Lewis' mother Ericca Hammond said her daughter's whole body had burned

The gasoline ignited and the fire spread across the barrel, catching Lewis’ hair and clothes on fire. "It was devastating. Completely burned her whole body," Hammond added.

The people at the home were afraid to call 911 because they had been drinking alcohol so they drove Lewis to the hospital themselves. She was then transferred to another hospital by helicopter where she received treatment for burns that covered most of her body, according to the Miami Herald.

Lewis was put into a medically-induced coma and underwent multiple surgeries, according to KDFW.

Hammond, at the time, said she wanted nothing more than for her daughter to be okay and to live a normal life. She said Lewis was 17 years old and had a bright future ahead of her.

"She's supposed to graduate in May and go to college in August, but she has so much more to do out here. That's why. I mean, she's a warrior. She is a fighter."

Hammond also revealed that she once moved her tongue and tried opening her eyes. She had also been out of the coma but was very critical. "She was in pain so they gave her more sedation," Hammond added.

Madison Lewis’ death and Sebastian Lindsey’s arrest

On January 7, Lewis succumbed to her injuries and passed away, the police said. "Maddy put up one hell of a fight but her precious body was so tired," a community fried Onita Henderson, who had been posting updates about Lewis' condition in a Facebook group 'Madison’s Mission to healing', wrote.

 

Scores of people had been sending prayers for Lewis' recovery there. "My heart is completely broken", wrote one following news of Lewis' death. "To know Maddy was to love her," wrote another. 

 

Lindsey, the man who threw the gasoline on the fire, was charged with manslaughter and is being held without bond.