2010 Darwin Award Winner is.........

[sledgemeister]

Not sure if this really qualifies for a Darwin but definately in the running for the most ironic.

http://twitoaster.com/country-us/ebertchicago/segway-inventor-jimi-heselden-dies-in-segway-accident/

Millionaire Segway tycoon dies in cliff plunge on one of his own scooters

The multi-millionaire owner of the company that makes Segway motorised scooters has died in a freak accident while riding one of his vehicles.
Jimi Heselden, 62, was found dead in a river after plunging 80 feet over a limestone cliff near his home.
He was riding a rugged country version of the two-wheeled Segway when tragedy struck.
 Jimi Heselden, the multi-millionaire owner of the Segway company, died in a freak accident when he rode one of the high-tech two-wheel machines off a cliff
The body of the businessman, a former miner who was estimated to be worth £166million, was found in the River Wharfe at 11.40am on Sunday by a passer-by.
Police are investigating, but it is believed he lost control of the machine as he travelled along a bridleway close to his estate near Boston Spa, West Yorkshire.
The narrow pathway used by walkers is littered with tree roots and is rutted and uneven for most of its length.
The Segway was found in the river near his body, indicating that he was still riding the scooter when he drove over the cliff.
Segways are banned on British roads for safety reasons, but are legal on private land. Mr Heselden had bought the Segway company in a deal last December and planned to further develop the machine.

Read rest of story at link....

[fightingquaker13]

And had he saved himself a few K and just, y'know, walked.....? Well, they do say walking is good for your health.
FQ13

[PegLeg45]

Would this be a case of death imitating life?

[tombogan03884]

And had he saved himself a few K and just, y'know, walked.....? Well, they do say walking is good for your health.
FQ13

Dude, HE BOUGHT the company.
I think walking would have saved him considerably more than "a few K".

Would this be a case of death imitating life?

No, it's a case of "man imitating boat anchor".

[PegLeg45]

Dude, HE BOUGHT the company.
I think walking would have saved him considerably more than "a few K".

No, it's a case of "man imitating boat anchor".

 

[Sponsor]

[SwoopSJ]

The first thought that crossed my mind, when reading this article, was... bail.  I mean come on, man.  It's not like the seway was screaming along at 100 mph.  Given the speed at which they travel, one would think he would have had time to abandon ship rather than take the plunge.   

Swoop

[tombogan03884]

It wasn't the regular Segway you would by, it was the "off road" model they are selling to the military.
The article says the trail is rougher than a cob, He may have got bounced off balance and lost control.

[fightingquaker13]

Military? Off road Segway? Is it just me, or do you think the average grunt would be justified in a fragging if issued one of those in Iraq? Just sayin'.
FQ13

[tombogan03884]

Military? Off road Segway? Is it just me, or do you think the average grunt would be justified in a fragging if issued one of those in Iraq? Just sayin'.
FQ13

That's exactly where they are using them.

[Ichiban]

And here's why:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/31/AR2009013101717.html

"Individual Marine combat loads -- including protective gear, weapons, ammunition, water, food and communications gear -- range from 97 to 135 pounds, well over the recommended 50 pounds, a 2007 Navy study found.

In Afghanistan, soldiers routinely carry loads of 130 to 150 pounds for three-day missions, said Jim Stone, acting director of the soldier requirements division at the Army Infantry Center at Fort Benning, Ga. In Iraq, where patrols are more likely to use vehicles, loads range from 60 to nearly 100 pounds, he said. "