Charles Darwin's Darwin Awards 
HOME
Darwin Awards
At-Risk Survivors
Slush Pile
2011 August Rejects
Emergency workers find man dead aft
died trapped in his car
Couple dies as birthday prank goes
Decapitation by SUV
At risk electrical fire with hose
At risk electrical fire with hose
Court janitor drinks evidence
Man dies torching gopher holes
Candle in the wind
Trapped by Birthday Surprise
Barbecue In-tent!
Russian Roulette 2010
man robs gas station to pay bill
Hurrican Irene Candidates
Masturbate to death
Frog the size of a child reportedly
Irene Goodbye
Ultimate Graffiti
Graffiti Vandal pays ultimate price
Memorable Graduation Celebration
Beach Pitfall Trap
Harrisburg man killed in Hurricane
Canoeing in a Flood?
couple die in own sand hole
Woman falls into niag with umbrella
Double Down into Self-dug Pit
Improper use of a bridge
Japanese couple buried to death
DANGER!
Motorhome autopilot.
Honey..Surprise!
Not Understanding the Risks of Wind
Niagra Falls Darwin
Romanian killed while cutting a bom
Great Time for a Final Stroll
Drowning of surfer linked to Irene
Parkade Climber
Man shoots off his own chin
A big bull, and a dead, naked man!
Locked in a car.....
Access through roof
Fake gun, true retribution.
Woman caught breaking into cars aft
Think before you steal
Its was just for joke !
Boiling hot New Zealand kid
Serial Masturbator Killed Himself
prank gone wrong
Gun prank turned deadly
Approach police with fake gun
A fatal Carabinieri joke
a toy pistol for a joke to police
Woman gets hit by plane propeller
2 men injured in Michigan pickup tr
How to see if container is empty
Woman walks into propeller
Woman walks into propeller
Balconing game
all over Australia
Little knowledge, lotta danger
Copper Thief
Trying to Cross Railroad Tracks
Blow Up At Cannon Creek
Man Dies Torching Gopher Holes
Driving licence to kill
Michigan Driver Fails as Flintstone
Hey Y'all Watch This!
3 Injured After Birthday Cake Explo
Sitting Drunk
Man uses feet to stop car
Tiger Mauls Three Youths At SF Zoo
Who's Lion Now?
Niagara Railing & an Umbrella
student fell into niagara falls
Run over by OWN vehicle
Driver Caught Using Two Cell Phones
Skipping Snow Machine
Toronto-area woman swept over Niaga
Almost removed himself ...
Don't hit cartridges with stones
Just go to college
Young Toronto woman swept into Niag
Final Take
Toronto Woman 'Dead' After Niagara
Head throuh the sunroof
Timber!
Sled of Doom
Rachel Corrie
Stumped
Man accidentally shoots own p*nis
Pregnant woman killed by own pitbul
Man in Bank Chimney
Catching the Trolley
Man digs a hole and dies buried
Home-made Nuclear Reactor
Honoring death with death
Life's a beach
David Markuze
Arizona Gamecock
Arizona man hospitalized after shoo
No holster = shot penis, no pain
I can help install wordpress for yo
Ironic death in anti-helmet protest
Disturbing the Piece
Recycling bin accident
Bin accident
Man accidentally shoots himself in
Man shoots himself in penis
Women dies in recycling bin
Man Shoots Self in Penis
His aim was true...
man shoots self in penis
Non-swimmer tries water tubing
Rock and bolt guncartridge
Safety first
Died hammering on a gun cartridge
Man dies after hitting cartridge
Dumb as a rock
"Blow job"
If all you have is a hammer...
Hit a cartridge with a stone - died
Smashing boltgun amunition
Man hits bullet with a rock
killed hitting cartridge with stone
Hitting a cartridge with a stone
Bolt pistol catridge
Hits bolt pistol shell with stone
Cartridge Basher
Hits a boltgun shell with a stone
Police urge holster use after man s
Hitting cartridge with rocks...
Found cartridge and hit it with a s
Cartridge meets stone
Hit a cartridge with a rock
Sucked off
Man shoots own penis with pink gun
boltpistol ammunition kill
Beating the cartridge with stone
Stonecold Pole!
Man shoots him self in the face
Man beats cartrige with stone
Explosive and cartridge-activated
Hit shell with rock - died
Man dead from nail-gun cartridge
New Zealand Man Decapitated by Home
Do not fire ammo without a gun!
Man hitting catridge with stone
Biting the bullet
missing in tubing tragedy (Calgary)
Woman, 59, killed in cliffs fall at
Two bikers crash to each other
Man in 'free running' falls 3 floor
Dead Ringer!
Kitchen sink reactor
Shoplifting Suspect Drowns
Chlorine Bomb
Donated Her Life
Slovak soccer fan died in Belgrade
House kills houseowner
How not to prove a point
Cleaning with Gas kills two
Car door on the way.
Road sitting danger
woman ran over by own van
Atom smashing as a kitchen hobby
Nuclear Reactor in the Kitchen
Man decapitated by homemade hovercr
Motorcyclist Dies On Ride Protestin
Hovering head
Persistent Pilot
Hovercraft decapitates owner
Gaming to Death
Skydiving quadriplegic plunges to d
Do-it-yourself nuclear reactor
Man Finds Suspicious White Powder i
Quadraplegic parachute jumper
Man Snorts Unknown Substance
Hon. Ment: Drunks 8yr old chauffeur
Man Finds white powder, dies.
Man Finds Brick Of Unknown Substanc
Lifejacket & Straitjacket Required
Youth standing atop SUV dies
Pink umbrellas annoy bulls
Xed Out By X-Box
Man Dies While Raping Elderly Woman
Drugs don't kill ... stupid does
Two brave men off the bridge
Shooting Wartremoval
Older Rejects 
 
~ Random Story ~
Email Alert!
NEW! Gift Shop
Rules  Search
Contact Darwin
Submit a Story
Philosophy Forum
Home

  

Darwin Awards
2011 Slush Pile

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

Catching the Trolley

2011 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

At-Risk Survivor candidate

I am a professor at a local two-year commuter college in Media, PA. We get a number of students who daily take the train or trolley from Philadelphia to our campus because our school is within walking distance of the local SEPTA train station as well as the Media trolley stop.

One of my students, 19-year-old James T., daily caught the trolley at the 69th Street terminal and rode it to campus together with a number of his friends and classmates. On the morning of May 31, 2011, James was running a few minutes late, but still wanted to catch the same trolley his friends were on. As the trolley pulled out from the station, James, in true Darwinesque fashion, chased the trolley, banging on the side of the car to try to alert the driver to open the doors. James continued to chase the trolley past the “No Access” signs, and was pinned under the trolley when the walkway narrowed, and he got trapped between the trolley and the safety fence.

Fortunately for James, his legs were not actually run over by the trolley’s wheels, and rescuers were able to remove the safety fence and use air bags to lift the trolley off of him. James was admitted in serious but stable condition to a local hospital, able to look forward to months of physical rehabilitative therapy.

A main reason I consider this a Darwin Award-worthy action is that James knew full well that the trolleys run every 5 to 10 minutes during rush hours, and that if he simply waited for the next trolley, he would have still arrived to school in time for his classes. Instead, three months later he has yet to return to class.

A local newspaper account is available online at: http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/04/01/news/doc4d95425960c5c593007005.txt

Submitted on 08/12/2011

Submitted by: Tom Epp
Reference: Delaware County Daily Times, March 31,2011

Copyright © 2011 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
Thanks, Tom, but we get lots of stories of idiots getting run over by trains trying to run in front of them, jump on moving ones, etc. There are over 2000 documented train/pedestrian accidents every year in the US alone and we hear about tons of them. The article also states that one of the rescuers was injured, which could also invoke our hurt bystanders rule. But considering how common train accidents are I just don't see this as standing out enough for an award. Thanks just the same.


Candi said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
What Bruce said. Normally I would think it might squeak in, but the injured rescuer invokes the hurt bystanders rule.


The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom

Keep yourself out of the gene pool!
A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item!
Friends don't let friends reproduce!
$13 for Pack of 4

 

 

Slush Pile
Slush Pile Rejects

HomeRulesFAQsAwardsSlushSite Map
DarwinAward | HonorableMention | PersonalAccount | UrbanLegend