The charges stem from an explosion at a building owned by Kestou in which a nitrous oxide cannister was propelled through the air, striking and killing 19-year-old Turner Lee Salter about a quarter of a mile away. Kestou, a suburban Detroit businessman, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and his bond was set at $500,000 cash/surety only. The incident occurred at a building that housed a distributor for the vaping industry called Goo, which had more than 100,000 vape pens stored on-site. Authorities have linked the explosion to a truckload of butane canisters that had arrived at the building within a week of the incident.
Goo had received a township occupancy permit in September 2022 for the building where the explosion took place, which was intended to function as a retail location for a “smoke shop/vape store” selling paraphernalia for vape products. The Clinton Township’s Building Department confirmed that the building was approved for this purpose, indicating that the operation was legal. Kestou’s attorney, James Thomas, declined to comment on the case, while authorities scheduled a news conference for the following day to provide more information on the incident. The explosion sent cannisters soaring up to 2 miles away, and it was reported that more than half of the vape pens stock was still in the building when the fire began.
The tragic incident has raised questions about safety protocols and regulations in the vaping industry, especially in regards to the storage and handling of flammable materials like butane. The presence of such a large quantity of vape pens and canisters in the building has also drawn scrutiny over whether proper precautions were taken to prevent such a catastrophic event. Investigators will likely focus on determining the cause of the explosion and whether any negligence or wrongdoing contributed to the loss of life. The prosecutor’s decision to charge Kestou with involuntary manslaughter suggests that there may have been lapses in safety measures that led to the deadly outcome.
As the legal process unfolds, the community and the families of those affected by the explosion will be seeking answers and justice for the tragic loss of life. The news of the charges against Kestou has sparked a renewed discussion about accountability in businesses that deal with potentially hazardous materials and the need for stricter regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future. The upcoming probable cause hearing on May 7 will provide more details on the specific allegations against Kestou and shed light on the circumstances surrounding the explosion. It remains to be seen how this case will proceed and what implications it may have on the vaping industry as a whole.
