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December 14, 2003
Darwin Awards - Disqualified candidates
I have commented before that I think terminal stupidity should be a capital offence. This tale from the latest collection of Darwin Award candidates should fall into that category. By the way, they have been disqualified by the Darwin judges on the grounds that they survived ….
Two local men were seriously injured when their pickup truck left the road and struck a tree near Cotton Patch on State Highway 38 early Monday morning.
Woodruff County deputy Dovey Snyder reported the accident shortly after midnight Monday. Thurston Poole, 33, of Des Arc and Billy Ray Wallis, 38, of Little Rock are listed in serious condition at Baptist Medical Center.
The accident occurred as the two men were returning to Des Arc after a frog-gigging trip. On an overcast Sunday night, Poole's pick-up truck headlights malfunctioned. The two men concluded that the headlight fuse on the older model truck had burned out.
As a replacement fuse was not available, Wallis noticed that the 22-caliber bullet from his pistol fit perfectly into the fuse box next to the steering wheel column. After inserting the bullet, the headlights again began to operate properly and the two men proceeded toward the White River Bridge. After traveling about 20 miles and just before crossing the river, the bullet apparently overheated, discharged and struck Poole in the right testicle.
The vehicle swerved sharply right exiting the pavement and striking a tree. Poole suffered only minor cuts and abrasions from the accident, but will require surgery to repair the other wound. Wallis sustained a broken clavicle and was treated and released. "Thank God we weren't on that bridge when Thurston shot his balls off or we might both be dead" stated Wallis.
"I've been a trooper for ten years in this part of the world, but this is a first for me. I can't believe that those two would admit how this accident happened," said Snyder.
Upon being notified of the wreck, Lavinia, Poole's wife asked how many frogs the boys had caught and did anyone get them from the truck. (Way to go, Lavinia.)
Beggars the imagination really.
Posted by The Gray Monk at December 14, 2003 09:49 PM
Comments
Have you read the one about the man in Iran who used the but of his rifle to hold the head of a snake down. It turns out that it was a constrictor type of snake and it wraped itself around the gun including the trigger housing. He was shot in the head with his own gun, I am still trying to figure why he just didn't shot the snake.
Posted by: Matthew at December 17, 2003 01:08 PM
Did you know there is a website for the darwin awards?
Posted by: Pete at December 17, 2003 09:20 PM
I'd lost that URL Pete, thanks.
Matthew, perhaps the snake had a yen for martyrdom and got it wrong? Or the snake had sat on the guys little bomb store? Definitely a Darwinner.
Posted by: The Gray Monk at December 18, 2003 03:57 PM