Text and Burn: Teen Injured by Cell Phone

Dad blames battery malfunction

A teenage girl in downstate Illinois texted her friends so much, her cell phone burned out. Literally.

Carlie Duitsman of Mahomet fell asleep while texting on her cell phone. She woke up in the middle of the night to find a melted cell phone, a hole in her blanket, and burns on her abdomen, according to WBBM.

Carlie's father, Greg, blames a malfunctioning lithium battery and wants to warn everyone he can.

"[People] take these products for granted and they think they're perfectly safe," he said, "but there's a little battery in there that can really cause havoc."

Carlie has had a difficult time coping since the incident, but not because of the burns.

"It's been hard trying not to text people," said the teenager. "I was a little upset because I just got it."

The manufacturer, AT&T, is sending her a new phone, and is investigating the matter.

Matt Bartosik is a Chicago native and a social media sovereign.

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