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2008 March Slush
Yamashita Treasure
(Hmm)Ugg Boots and Level Crossings
(HM)Workplace Fling
DA:Prank turned punishment
(Hmm)Kitty-Kitty-Kitty!
(Hmm)Where there's Smoke ...
(?)Police identify father, son killed
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(?)Real life Frogger
(?)Runs in the Family
(?)Alcohol and me don't mix
(HM)Burners can't fly
(?)How stupid can you be??
(?)Flash Flood Runners
(?)woman + cellphone + train = splat
(?)Yakuza shoots his own head
DA:Crash Test Cart
bye bye testicles
Volcano climber cheats death
Russian Roulette -Honorable Mention
Father knows best
Be sure it's out before tossing it.
Man electrocuted stealing copper
Ticket to ride
Sex with Lock Dangerous
You ride INSIDE the car
Fork Lift Truck Doughnut
I think I forgot something...
Man blown out of truck dies
Redneck bee exterminator (writeup)
fireworks and diesel fuel
Sex change... Shotgun sex change.
Stealing a safe and dying under it
Teen flying kite from car
End of the line
How not to tame a croc
Return of 'Where there's Smoke"
gotta go
Drifting and a 'razed' view
Teen love caught hanging in the bal
Let's see how you measure up!
Man killed while beating would-be r
Honourable mention - total idiot te
Man dies when wind flips mattress
Taking out the Trash...
Shortcut to street cred
Modern day tarzan
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Addicted to Butane
OWCH!!!
Party Guest Tragedy
How Not to Kill a Pet Rat
Woman killed by train
Stealing Cooper Wire = Deadly Fire
The French Fries Experience
Shocking sex death ruled homicide
Man electrocuted in theft of wire,
Thieves risk lives to steal metal
barbacue pit
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Australian Man Gunned Down in Drive
Millions of pieces
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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

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Runs in the Family

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Darwin says, "Thanks for the submission! Nice addition to the Slush Pile, but not quite rare enough for the archive."
During the November Elk season of 2006, several days of non-stop rainfall in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State washed out most of the mountain highways and forest roads. The central support for a bridge crossing the Cowlitz River was undercut, causing the middle of the bridge to sink 8 feet and both ends to rise several feet above the road surface. Because the bridge was the only road access to a popular hunter's camp between the Muddy and Clear forks of the Cowlitz River, several hunting groups had to abandon their vehicles, trailers, and motor homes and walk across the bridge to safety. One man in his early 20's decided to try driving his SUV across the Muddy Fork. Since both the Muddy and Clear forks are deeper than the height of a SUV during periods of low flows, this proved to be a bad idea during a flood. The SUV was immediately swept away and the man's body recovered from the river several days later. I visited the site a week later after the flood water receded, walking across the bridge to take a day hike. The Forest Service had placed a chain across the bridge to prevent anyone from attempting to drive across. After a short walk on a level road, I saw numerous crosses and flowers placed where the unfortunate individual met his demise. When I returned from my hike, I found the dead man's family at the bridge where they were attempting to cut the chain. Unable to grasp the concept of walking a few blocks, they were very upset with the Forest Service preventing their attempt to drive across the damaged bridge to leave more flowers and memorabilia at the site of their relative's ill-advised attempt to cross a river several times deeper than the height of his SUV.

Obviously, the dead man's lack of judgment was a hereditary condition.

Submitted on 03/01/2008

Submitted by: Rob Nielsen
Reference: None

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
It sounds like that entire family could be in the running for a DA. Unbelievable that they'd try to cut that chain so they could drive across such an unsafe bridge. Thanks, Rob!


James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Entitlement at the expense of safety seems to be a growing problem in this country. Had they succeeded in cutting the chain, and had they driven across, and had something ELSE happened, you'd better believe whoever survived (along with their slimy ambulance-chasing lawyers) would somehow find a way to place 100% of the blame on the Forest Service (if not for the chain, for a weakened bridge, &c &c). ANYWAY...great PA, Rob! Thanks for sending it in!


Darwin Awards II: Unnatural Selection

Hardback. 240 pages. Autographed.
$15
A fresh collection of magnificent misadventures! Lust, Vanity, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Envy, and Wrath extract an evolutionary toll on the wicked. Salute the owner of an equipment training school who demonstrates the dangers of driving a forklift by failing to survive the filming of his own safety video. Witness the man who becomes a victim of his own strange passion for jumping into rivers. Heed the honest bricklayer who loses a battle of wits with 300 pounds of tools.

This book includes more History of the Awards, Gordon's Law, and 10 discussions of evolution, including speciation and the role of verbal memes in civilization.

Autographed by Author!

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