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2006 October Slush

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Speed limits are for pansies

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Going out through the window

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Too Impatient to Live

Dying for a cigarette

Heat-Killed Bacteria

Stupid Tourists

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What a Pisser

Down the Drain

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2006 Slush Pile

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

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2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

John Thomas Goffe, a practical joker nicknamed "Tommy," had performed the stunt many times before, leaping from the cab of a moving pickup into its bed. But early Friday morning he slipped. The pickup's back wheel rolled over the 22-year-old, killing him. "It was nobody's fault but Tommy's," said Goffe's stepmother, Wendy. "He was just showing off, doing something to make people laugh." Goffe was sitting in the open window of a pickup driven by his roommate Chase Richter, 19. His other roommate Caleb Mathews, 24, was also in the cab of the vehicle, and another friend, Jonathan Madison, 22, sat in the truck's bed. The roommates and their friend had left a South Daytona bar and were seconds from their home, driving about 25 mph on the 2300 block of Florida Boulevard when Goffe called out to his friends. "Watch this," he said, according to a police report. His head dangling outside the pickup and his hands gripping the roof, Goffe tried to swing himself into the truck bed, said Lt. Ron Wright, South Daytona police spokesman.Richter stopped so Mathews and Madison could check on Goffe. The friends urged Richter to drive home, police said, and Mathews and Madison stayed with Goffe. Madison called another friend to the scene and then called authorities. Paramedics arrived and pronounced Goffe dead, Wright said Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the accident, Wright said. Charges, if any, are pending the outcome of an investigation. "If anybody is charged," Wright said "it will be against the driver." Wendy Goffe insists the three friends had been drinking but were not over the legal blood alcohol limit at the time of the accident, and that her stepson is squarely to blame -- the stunt was something he liked to do, she said. A blood sample was taken from the driver, Wright said. John Goffe moved from Lakeland to South Daytona three years ago to be closer to the ocean so he could indulge his passion for surfing. He worked in construction where he operated heavy machinery, his father, David Goffe, said. Wendy Goffe said she will miss the sweet, big brown eyes of her stepson. The Bible says that unforeseen occurrences sometimes happen," she said, "and we all make wrong turns. Tommy just made a bad decision."

Submitted on 10/07/2006

Submitted by: MaryLu Leveroni
Reference: 10/7/06 Daytona News Journal

>> Moderator Scores <<

James said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Thanks, MaryLu! This one is a TOUGH one to decide upon. Such antics are way too common, but the classic line "Watch THIS!" is present, a sure sign that something is about to happen. Nevertheless, there were too many others involved in Goffe's gaff, and alcohol was partially to blame. Since Goffe's own stepmother cites him as the sole cause of his demise, however, I will marginally approve this one for a DA (though I fear my fellow mods may wish to toss this)!

Jorge said:
Definitely Toss: Lacks Excellence

Graham said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
The "Watch This!" prompt is always a clue to RUN, RUN, RUN as someone is going to do something incredibly stupid! Why people attempt such stunts will always amaze me. Is it really for simple gratification, I wonder, or do they simply not see the danger?

Fitzroy said:
Maybe Toss: Other
I'm sorry to be vague about this, but it was just a whole mix of factors that guided my vote. It was just a little too distinctive to be too common and a little to elaborate to lack excellence and a little too self-inflicted to lack self-selection, but being so close to the various criteria altogether makes me lean this way. Of course it is a very difficult call, so it must at least be on the right track. The submission surely is appreciated.

Tracy said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Alcohol and daredevils don't mix! Not sure I like this one though

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2006 Slush Pile

Ya'll watch this

2006 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance