North Platte Police say they have made an arrest after a North Platte man was seriously injured by a homemade explosive device.

At around 1:00 a.m., on September 15, officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the emergency room at Great Plains Health, where a 24-year-old male was being treated for a serious injury to his hand.  Staff at the hospital told police the injury was caused by a homemade explosive device.

Officer met with the victim, who told them that he and another 26-year-old male had been riding in a van with Daniel Smith.

The victim alleged that as they traveled down East Philip Street, in between Bicentennial Street and Newberry Access, Smith lit the fuse on a pipe bomb type explosive device and handed it to him.

The victim said Smith told him to throw it out the window of the vehicle.

According to the victim, and the other passenger, the device exploded before the victim was able to throw it out the window, instead, police say the device detonated in the victim’s hand, causing serious injury to his hand and wrist.

Smith then transported the victim to the hospital and fled the scene.

Officers soon located the vehicle, which had sustained damage to the windshield and several other areas, and towed it to a secure facility.

On September 28, an officer met with Smith, who was being held at the Lincoln County Detention Center on unrelated charges, and questioned him regarding this case.

After further investigation, Smith was arrested and charged with felony 2nd-degree assault and felony use of an explosive device to commit a felony.

Smith remains in custody at the LCDC