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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Kid dies after hopping on moving tr

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

(from http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=60223)

Columbia (WLTX) - Students at the University of South Carolina are mourning after the death of sophomore Chase Campbell Wednesday.

Officials say Campbell, who is from Anderson, jumped on a train with three other students, and tried to hold on as the train picked up speed.

Newberry deputies say once the train started moving faster, the boys were unable to get off. They say Campbell held on for about 35 miles before falling off and was then hit by the train.

But friends at USC say the Sigma Nu fraternity member will be remembered for the laughter he brought to everyone.

Senior Emily Deal lifeguarded with Campbell for six years in their hometown of Anderson. "He was the funny, goofy guy that everybody loved and got along with great," she says.

Deal's mom broke the bad news to her over the phone Wednesday while she was at a baseball game. "The first thing that I thought was 'No, not Chase, not the Chase that I know'... Everyone around you is screaming and hollering and cheering on and you're sitting there going 'No, no," she says.

Friends say they'll remember Campbell for much more than just his last act. "You would see his curly head coming down the road and you would just be like, 'Oh Lord, what's gonna happen next?" she says.

While it was a bad decision that ultimately led to Campbell's death, Deal's memories of her friend will remain the same. "You think he had his whole life ahead of him and it was just a sad misfortunate accident," she says.

"He was everybody's favorite and I actually had one little boy tell me that he didn't want to be in my class, he wanted to be in Mr. Chase's class. Of course, my feelings were hurt, but I understood, too," she says of their swim lesson classes.

She hopes it will be an accident that can teach others a valuable lesson. "I always see students trying to go in between the arms of the train and maybe it'll just be a wake-up that these are dangerous vehicles," she says.

The university is making counselors available for students who need them, and the Student Life office says they are continuing to talk about decision-making in high-risk situations with the students.

Sigma Nu's national office says that while their thoughts and prayers are with Campbell's family and his fraternity, they don't believe it was a chapter-related activity.

Submitted on 03/28/2008

Submitted by: Jerry
Reference: WLTX TV, Columbia SC, 3-27-08

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
The article is very short on the details of the accident, but at first glance it does sound like a lot of stupidity was involved. Thanks, Jerry, and let us know if more details arise.


James said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
While train hopping is rather common (I worked with a fellow who did it for years), it's not for amateurs (my friend learned where and when to hop a freight and had befriended railroad police who turned a blind eye once they knew who he was). Basically, you board and alight from freight trains in yards or when they stop. Unlike the freight trains of the 1930s (the "golden age" of hobos and the like) which traveled at very slow speeds (often no faster than 20mph), modern freight trains race along at 60+mph. Obviously WAY too fast to just drop off from the boxcar! I too would like to see more details...!


Tracy said:
Maybe Toss: Lacks Excellence
Thanks for submitting, but I feel this kind of trick is very common


Chip said:
Definitely Toss: Not Amusing
A sad tale. While train hopping is a stupid passtime I just don't find any humor in this story. In fact, the part of the story where his mom found out at a baseball game was just tear-making. Perhaps a humorous write up would help? Thanks for the story.


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