WINFIELD TWP — State police Wednesday charged a Saxonburg teenager with accidentally firing a flare gun that struck and seriously injured another teen.

Jeremiah C. Smith, 18, is charged with reckless endangerment, a second-degree misdemeanor.

Police allege Smith discharged the flare gun that hit a 17-year-old in the neck around 11:50 p.m. April 7 as the two friends sat around a campfire at the 17-year-old's home on Star Grille Road.

The boy was later flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh with thermal burns to the neck and hands, investigators said.

His condition was not known Wednesday.

Police said Smith was handling the gun, which was pointed toward the teen, when it went off, hitting the boy about 15 feet away.

The defendant told investigators that he had fired the gun earlier that night and reloaded it.

“Smith stated that he pulled the trigger several times, but it never fired,” according to charging documents.

He recounted that it eventually “just fired” and struck the boy.

Police said the injured boy was “awake and oriented” while being treated by Saxonburg Ambulance medics.

He suffered the thermal burns, which are caused by skin exposure to an open flame, intense heat or scalding water, and also had a cut to his chin.

The charge against Smith will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Sue Haggerty. His preliminary hearing at Haggerty's office in Saxonburg was not immediately scheduled.