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The NutCracker
Man harbours building dive wish
Cork boy burned while sniffing petr
Kiwi's can't fly
from darkest africa...
Balcony jumper misses leap
I Believe I can fly
The priest meets the Lord
Things look smaller from a distance
Balcony jumper could not be talked
"Rolling Meth Lab" Explodes; I-10 S
Superman or Superchump?
Balcony jumper could not be talked
Balcony jumper wanted to test himse
3 story fall
Leap from Balcony into Harbour
Man who died below Jenner cliff was
Robber Blows Himself Off The Cliff
Penis Panic
Get A Good Shot
Bermuda, drink, drive, die
Priest missing after balloon-flying
Could have made it!
8th floor leap kills man
Man dies after leap from balcony
Drunk Jump
Dumb Jump
kiwi balcony jump
Eighth Floor Leap
eight floor leap ills man
High Dive Misses
Drunk Jump
Eight floor leap kills man
Another Darwinian
miss judged jump
miss judged jump
Man dies after leap from balcony
Man dies after leap from balcony
Not a great leap for mankind
Harbour jump from the 8th floor
Man dies after leap from balcony
harbour balcony jump goes wrong
Dot the i and you just might die
Two add infos about the priest
Trash Bang
95 proof alcohol and BBQ don't mix
Mower kills Monk
Beat the Priest
The Eco Terrorist of Orcas Island
Man fleeing police 'critical' after
Alleged penis-snatchers spark panic
Closer, Oh God, to Thee
Off-duty officer kills robber at De
Priest gone to Heaven, Literally
Death with party balloons
Death with party balloons
Thief Gets a Charge Out of His Work
Suspected thief set on fire by powe
The Flying Priest
Search suspended for balloon priest
Balloon Stunt Priest Disappears
The gas baloon priest
The Flying Priest
Hearing Impaired?
Priest disappears in the sea
Adelir de Carli - The flier priest
10km Drive on Wrong Side of FreeWay
Brazilian priest in party ballons
Talk about tying one on!
Brazilian balloon priest Fly
The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind
Lawn Chair Larry 2
Seeking Heaven
Flying Priest
The video
Flying Priest Crashes
'Flying' priest's
Brazilian priest lost at sea after
The Flyer Priest
"flying priest"
Flying priest
Priest flying high
Daredevil priest RIP
Priest flies off with party balloon
Lawn Chair Priest
Death by Party Baloons
"The Flying Priest"
The Flying Priest
Helium Propelled Priest
Gone with the wind
Priest Floats to Heaven
Clueless on a Cellphone in Seattle
ANOTHER MOTORCYCLIST DIED AT VICTIM
Success where Lawnchair Larry faile
Brazil priest flying party balloons
hey, it's dark in there!
A father ballonist
Brazilian Priest Gets Lost in Heave
Fly me to the moon
Teen on cell phone killed by train
Priest missing on balloon flight
brazilian Astronaut attempt
Girl killed walking over railroad t
Giving stupid a whole new meaning
Priest attached to party balloons
Flying Priest (MIA in ocean)
Defrauding The US Military
Balloon Priest Vanished
Some never learn
New Helium Balloon record attempt
He tried to reach God, and managed!
Can you hear me now?
Priest balloon ride
Prisoner eats jail food, dies.
enjoy
Cell Phone
Up Up and Away
Balloon Priest
Teen Sneaks Out, Gets Grounded
Road Rage-David Lopez
Catch that train!
Father Mistakes Son for Turkey
Don't Drink and Walk.
Tiger: 1 Photographer 0
Gripped By Gravity
Theft led to man's electrocution
almost dead at 11
Teen killed, driver flees
Toulouse or not Toulouse?
Starbucks Drive Thru Gone Wrong
What could go wrong?
Spider man
Toulouse Plane Crash
Toulouse Plane Crash
YouTube stunt goes very wrong
YouTube stunt goes very wrong
2 guys one horse
Arguing Couple Killed on Tracks
Killed in Masonic Temple
man kills wife in freak diy acciden
man kills wife in freak diy acciden
Victoria Falls
Teens
Very Dumb Kids
HONOURABLE MENTIONIDIOT WITH HAMMER
Couple Dies Arguing On Train Tracks
The last drop
Electrical fault
Report Films Own Death
Thief runs over himself
Thief runs over himself
Truck Thief killed by U-Haul he sto
Large Solid Object Wins Again...
Man killed while beating robber
Body in shaft identified
Body in shaft identified
explosive sex offender
Thief runs over himself
No more room
Couple killed by speeding train
Man Fall to Death After Mets Game
Stolen U-Haul Gone Bad
Truck Thief Dies When it Runs Over
Careful Planning
Unaccustomed Customs
Kid accidently kills himself with g
Man Steals, Gets Run Over By, Truck
Electrocuted stealing live wires
Man runs over own head
Out of the fryingpan into the swamp
St.Louis Man Accidently Shoots Wife
No charges for man who killed wife
Gene pool reduction by shotgun
Grenade thrown in fire kills two te
Teen accidentally shoots self in he
Man jumps of bridge
drunk dies in snow
Man killed by 11,000 volts
3 die evading rescuers in Vermont
Self-inflicted shotgun blast
Police: Man jumps to death, appears
Man driving stolen motorcycle hits
wood chipper confermation
Potty Jumper
'World peace' hitcher is murdered
Dying to go to the toilet
man killed trying steal live cables
Heed the Warning Signs
TURNABOUT IS FAIR PLAY
He Really Relieved Himself
He really relieved himself
Man seeking relief jumps to his dea
man falls to death to take a leak
I 4 jumper
MAN SHOOTS WIFE
Look before you leap!!
Saving the Cable Hook Up Fees
I gotta pee!!
Suicede Bombers say OOPS!!
ME peace activist found dead
Busting for a ...
My candidate for the 2008 award
Copper Theft
a tryer!!
Chipper City Worker in LA
satellite install
Tree Trimming Mishap
Teen Girls Killed in Wreck After At
'I'm fed up . . . kill me."
Girls die setting up cabbie - cops
Fired Up About Satellite TV
Don't distract the driver
The winner of Russian Roulette
Crooks Cut Cabbie and Crash
Teen Girls Killed In Wreck/Robbery
Two women stab cabbie; are then kil
The Criminal Fart
MOTORCYCLE CULLING
A very wrong turn to death
Don't Believe Everything You Read
Missouri Man Fatally Shoots Wife wh
Man Dies Trying to Extract Gold Fro
A man kills himself back home
Man was hit by its own car
Human Klondike Bat
Hat and common sense flew right off
crook dies in duct
Gold in that there computer
Beacon man killed in motorcycle cra
Man dies from mercury poisoning
swiss replica watch
Alligator Attacks Man on Crack
Beer Bottles Strangle Sucker
backpack strangles man
Squaddie injures backside
Man scaling fence strangles in stra
Man scaling fence strangles...
Roof Surfing
There's Mercury in them hills!
Thailand Ladyboys opt for Castratio
Man scaling fence strangles in stra
Man dies in freak accident involvin
Don't drink and climb
Man dies in freak accident involvin
Thief dies in air duct
Dangers of Drinking
Kinky sex game kills father
Man chokes on beer-loaded backpack
Reaching From Heaven
Body in ductwork could be burglar:
Man dies in freak accident involvin
Boy Burrys Head In Sand
Man scaling fence strangles in stra
Man dies in freak accident involvin
A Public Nuisance
Drinking & Climbing Don't Mix
A new way to install satellite
Man dies from mercury poisoning aft
Reaching From Heaven
Man dies in stationary van crash
Man Installing Satellite Kills Wife
Forgot to Swallow
MP argues with Train
Burglar nabbed playing dead
Cyclist hits Van
Schoolboy dies after snorting heroi
Fake seat belt
Man dies from mercury poisoning aft
No helmet motorcycle tow
I-70 pileup a 'war zone'
Siphoning gas while smoking
Man suffers serious burns in blast
Unable to cable = death
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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!

A Public Nuisance

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

To start off with, I should describe my political philosophy a little. I consider myself a libertarian and am in general a bit suspicious of cops due to the power they wield and, from my observations, their frequent lack of judiciousness in wielding it. My best friend was brutally assaulted by local cops on one occasion for an relatively minor offense which they did not witness nor was it "ongoing" at the time of their assault. To me, many seem unfamiliar with the Bill of Rights (in particular the Fourth Amendment) and the laws in general. Also, to me, a drug dealer driving around with a large amount of drugs in his car is far less of risk to the general public than a cop chasing him at 70+ MPH through inner city neighborhoods (and this is coming from a suburban white guy, by the way). With all of this said, I do recognize the tough job they have and have a great deal of respect for the cops who try to work within their constraints.

Today, however, I witnessed an action by a county cop that not only was an example of a cop acting above the law but also qualifies him as an aspiring Darwin Award winner, put the public at risk, and could have easily claimed an innocent life.

Weather permitting, I go to a nearby park everyday during my lunch break for a half hour walk. The speed limit in the park is 25 MPH. Everyone who knows me knows that I love speeding. I think nothing of going 15 to 20 MPH over the limit on interstates and even had my license suspended for speeding on one occasion. However I am a very good driver, have never had an accident in nearly 15 years of driving, never drive while intoxicated, and on residential roads and park roads, never speed beyond 5 MPH over the limit (and often stay below it). Most people who drive through this park typically do so at 35 to 40 MPH and if they have a problem with my lack of speed when getting behind me, that is just too bad.

On a few occasions, I have had kids driving sports cars use the opposing lane to pass me. This is interesting because there is virtually nowhere in the metropolitan area where I live that allows this due to the extremely hilly and curvy roads in this part of the country. At the very least, these kids have enough brains to use the one straight, flat section of the road in this park to do their passing. While they may be breaking the law, they at least understand why the law exists and they break it in a, for the most part, relatively safe way.

Today, however, on the way back to work I had a county cop approach me from behind in this park at a speed between 45 to 50 MPH as I was approaching a blind curve going down a hill. I could barely see cars coming the other way and there was no way he could. This did not stop him from using the opposing lane to pass me in the middle of this curve, not even slowing down. He could not possibly have reacted quick enough to avoid a head on collision had there been a car in that lane. Using more conservative numbers of his speed at 45 MPH and the typical driver's speed in this park at 35 MPH, the resulting collision would have been the equivalent of an 80 MPH head on collision. If the other car would not have been a truck or SUV, the driver of it would have certainly been killed and if it had, the cop would have certainly been killed, earning him a well-deserved Darwin Award for an extremely boneheaded decision while driving. The funny thing is that straight, flat part of the road was coming up in about a quarter of a mile. Also, if it was an emergency, all he needed to do was turn his lights on and I would have certainly pulled off the road. Heck, even if it was not an emergency he could have turned on his lights to get me out of his way! I really feel safe with more cops around.

Submitted on 04/03/2008

Submitted by: Mike
Reference: 4/3/08

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Chip said:
Definitely Toss: Not Amusing
I see no humor nor self selection in this. Mostly just a political diatribe. Thanks for the submission, Mike.


Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Not Amusing
What Chip said...


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