View full sizeThe Patriot-News The next morning, the body of James Leo Brown, 21, was found at the base of a 75-foot cliff near U.S. Routes 11/15 outside Duncannon.

Police and county officials said they have done their best to piece together details in an incident that left them with no crime to investigate but plenty of blank moments in the time line. Indeed, police drove the older brother home without anyone knowing that his brother had fallen to his death.

The odd story began Friday night at a Duncannon-area bar.

Penn Township Police Lt. Cliff Karlsen said James Brown had gone there with his older brother, Trenton, 24. The two drank until closing time, Karlsen said.

“James had a little bit too much to drink, so Trenton helped him out to the car,” he said.

Trenton was driving north on Routes 11/15, and he and his brother argued, Karlsen said. Police didn’t say what the argument was about.

“Trenton said, ‘I’ve had enough of you,’ so he pulled over to the side of the road and got out,” he said.

When Trenton Brown walked off, Karlsen said, James Brown took the wheel of the car.

James Brown lived in Loysville and was a 2008 graduate of West Perry High School.

He worked for Dennison Gas Company in Williamsport. Brown also had worked at Primus and T.J. Maxx, both in Williamsport. A funeral, arranged by Nickel Funeral Home in Loysville, is planned for Thursday.

Karlsen said that after James Brown took over the wheel of his brother’s car early Saturday, he pulled back onto Routes 11/15, driving south in the northbound lanes.

He said Brown rounded a sharp curve near Duncannon, then lost control of the car and hit a concrete barrier in the middle of the highway.

Another Penn Township officer who was driving past saw the crash and spun around. As the officer pulled up, he saw someone get out and run from the car.

While the officer gathered crash evidence, state police called to say they might have located the car’s driver. In fact, Karlsen said, it was Trenton who state police encountered walking along a road.

Penn police retrieved Trenton, who identified his car and asked police where his brother was.

Officers didn’t have an answer.

“We ended up taking Trenton home because Trenton [was] also intoxicated,” Karlsen said.

Before they left, police told Trenton to call them when his brother came home.

However, at 7:10 a.m., police heard instead from a Norfolk Sourthern employee who was on a train running through Duncannon. The employee had seen what appeared to a body lying near tracks at the base of a mountain face.

“James was probably unfamiliar with the area, ran across this little bit of grass field adjacent to the highway, which drops off to a 75-foot cliff,” Karlsen said.

Perry County Coroner Michael Shalonis confirmed Brown’s death was accidental. He said it appeared Brown didn’t know he was at the edge of a cliff.

“He just walked over the edge,” Shalonis said.

The Rev. Robert Sharman, pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church in New Bloomfield, said Brown’s family is coping.

“They’re finding a lot of strength from the community, from James’ friends,” he said.

After Thursday’s services, the family will continue to need support, perhaps even more than now, in the form of friends’ physical presence, he said.

“Words are inadequate because we’re not going to heal the human heart with words,” Sharman said.

Submitted on 03/28/2012

Submitted by: C. Wagner
Reference: Pennlive.com Tues. March 20,2012

Copyright © 2012 DarwinAwards.com

Candi said:
Definitely Toss: No Self-Selection
Sorry, Wagner, but this sounds like an accident resulting from lack of knowledge, rather then blatantly disregarding same. The other moderators may differ. Thanks anyway, and submit again!

James said:
Definitely Toss: Lacks Excellence
He was drunk and just had an argument. Obviously he was stressed out and probably didn't see the cliff coming. No stupidity here, just ignorance and bad luck. Thanks just the same! :-)

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