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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!

The line got him

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

In the very early morning of February 7, 1988 a car being driven by an impaired person failed to negotiate a turn, subsequently hitting a utility pole just off a U.S. highway in South Carolina. The pole was dislogded but did not fall, however the insulation surrounding a 7,200 volt power line snapped open allowing the exposed (and energized) line to droop to within inches of the highway. Clearly under most circumstances this set up would disqualify any mention by Darwin due to the rule about deaths caused by others, but this is unique as I'll explain. The initial responder was a state trooper who, with the assitance of a guy who stopped to help after seeing the crash, began assiting the driver and directing traffic respectively. (Both survived but must be mentioned for what happens next to be understood.) The traffic situation quickly forced the trooper to request assitance, which arrived in the form of a deputy sherrif. The trooper advised the deputy that the local power company was informed and enroute to handle the dangling line. It was at this moment the deputy unknowingly decided to go for the Darwin; He advised the trooper that the absence of insulation indicated a ground wire which could safely be handled, evidently having failed to notice some insulation was still connected. What happened next was somewhat puzzling, he walked over to the energized line, grabbed it, and started walking to the side of the road at which point the trooper turned away from our nominee. After turning his back, he saw a bright flash which eminated from behind, where the deputy was taking the power line. Turning around again, the deputy was not visible so the trooper asked the guy who stopped (and who happened to be facing the flash) what happened. He said that when the deputy stepped off the highway, the "line got him". What's puzzling is why he wasn't zapped when first touching the wire on the highway. . The question was also pondered by the person investigating this incident

Regardless, this person deserves mention not because he didn't notice the remaining insulation but because the power company was on the way and after all it was not his job. (To the contrary I think law enforcement is taught to keep folks away from downed lines, not grab them.)

Submitted on 08/30/2008

Submitted by: Rich
Reference: NIOSH 1988

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
"It's not my job and not an emergency, but I think I know everything..." Thanks, Rich!


James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
If this were a news item it WOULD be tossed, but since it is a PA, I will keep it...it IS rather funny, after all! Thanks, Rich!


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