Everyone is het up over idiots who text message while driving. We will end up with new and special laws covering specific categories of stupidity. That’s the American Way. Anyway, here’s someone in Ohio dumber than that –
A train struck and injured a pedestrian who was sending a text message on his cellphone while crossing railroad tracks, a collision that hurled him about 50 feet, authorities and witnesses said Monday.
Zachariah Smith, 18, waited for a southbound train to pass Monday morning. He then walked around a gate and onto the tracks, apparently unaware that another train was coming from the other direction, said witness Mike Billups.
“The horn was blowing like mad and the kid was text messaging,” said Mayor Richard Ellison, who went to the scene and talked to several witnesses after hearing of the accident. “The kid apparently was just daydreaming.”
After regaining consciousness, Smith was taken by paramedics to nearby University Hospital in Cincinnati with undisclosed injuries. He was listed in serious condition Monday night.
It’s like the old joke about “my grandpa – was killed by a weasel. He was passed out drunk on the railroad tracks and didn’t hear the weasel.” – Har, har.
No Darwin Award for this guy … to bad.
#3 – improbus,
I’m with you. natural selection is coming to a halt with our species. Our gene pool needs a life guard or something.
#2 – clicking the link – the horn was blowing, the crossing lights were flashing and he walked around the gate.
To many people think they can beat the train, and try to get around the barrires. On my bike ride home I have see this (I bike pass some CSX tracks) what i have seen is the lights will start flashing (this is just befor the bars come down) and people will “gun” it to make it before the gates come down.
Also there is a problem where cars will try to go around the gates (thanfully I have never seen this, I don’t think this could ever end well) and that is why you will see double gates at some tracks
Its because the iPhone is just so mesmerizing.
Is this going to change into an iPhone discussion??
Damn! He lived, and he’s still old enough to breed!
Text messaging is going to be the next evolutionary factor, those who can pull it without being killed will be come the dominant species.
Just a speed bump…Not a good one either.
Kind of reminds me of the old Darwin award where a man’s car broke down and he was walking down some railroad tracks while talking on his cell phone where he was subsequentially hit by the train and died. In interveviewing the train conductor he stated that he honked several times and the guy had heard the train whistle. Confused they asked how he was so sure that the man on the cell phone had heard the train whistle. The conducter said “everytime I blew the whistle he would cover his other hear to hear his phone call better”
#3 – Improbus
I’m sure this will not be the first and last time we’ll hear about him… 😉
Text messaging is always a stupid idea. I refuse to talk to people who text me.
#16, Same here. In fact I leave my phone on vibrate so if I don’t wear it, I don’t hear it.
The world can wait for me.
This exact thing (minus the text messaging) happened to a good friend of mine actually. He wasn’t listening to music, or doing anything else to distract him, he just didn’t hear it over the other train he was waiting for. He survived and has pretty much completely recovered, but he was in a coma for 2 or 3 months.
Maybe text messaging contributed to this some, but it can still happen anyway. In life, accidents happen, period.