Another Darwin Award - when will they learn?

Why won't these people learn to read?

A 28-year-old man died early this morning in Pueblo while trying to steal electrical wiring from a high voltage electrical box, the Pueblo police said.

The man, Brian Repinski of Pueblo, was brought unconscious to Parkview Hospital suffering from high voltage burns, said Sgt. Mark Duran.

He died shortly after his arrival.

Public Humiliation is Sweeeet

Nope. I didn't do it, but here is a sign that popped up on the edge of the parking lot down the street by some local businesses. Winnie says "better them than us", as we used to find the MD20/20 bottles out in front of our house.

Can anyone tell me how to look up, for free this VA license plate? It might be nice to send her a copy.

Another "Almost a Darwin Award"

There's a lot of water. Here. And bridges. And draw-bridges. Please, don't believe what you see in the movies.

A motorist fleeing police tried — and failed — to jump across an open drawbridge in Chesapeake on Tuesday afternoon, and emergency workers had to pull the driver and his car out of the Elizabeth River.

Michael Christopher Mills, a 38-year-old Chesapeake resident, was wanted on four counts of identity theft. After his escapade on Tuesday, he has also been charged with felony disregarding of police.

My suggestion would be...

...never talk to a judge this way.

Too Good To Ignore

Some stories are too good to ignore.

Would-be car thieves could learn from a New Bedford man's mistake: If you're going to steal a car, avoid the idling state police cruiser — especially if two troopers are inside.

Jose Alvarez Nieves was arrested Monday night after he allegedly tried to break into three cars in a convenience store parking lot, including an unmarked state police cruiser, according to state Trooper Paul Gifford.

"It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime stories," Trooper Gifford said.

Not quite a "Darwin" story, but close. Give Jose some time.

Almost a Darwin

So close. So very, very, close.

Some of the folks on my project team were meeting with the people in the VDOT bridge section to discuss a new product being built with our GIS Roads layer. It's intended to help steer overweight vehicles over appropriate roads, and to keep them away from weight restricted bridges.

In the middle of the meeting their beepers and phones start going off.

A one-lane bridge in Giles County collapsed yesterday when a heavily laden cement truck tried to cross the weight-restricted span.

The state Route 713 bridge over Walker Creek was posted with a restriction limiting the maximum weight of vehicles to 8 tons.

"It appears that an overweight vehicle violating the posting collapsed the bridge," said Malcolm T. Kerley, the Virginia Department of Transportation's chief engineer.

The 2003 Mack truck was carrying 15½ tons of cement, said state police Sgt. Michael Conroy. "The [cement] alone . . . pretty much doubled the limit on the bridge."

"This is an example of why we post weight limits on bridges," Walus said. "We want to remind all drivers to heed posted weight limits and follow posted safety instructions."

Darwin Award - XI

You know the phrase "never bring a knife to a gunfight"? Well, never bring a BB gun to a shotgun fight.

FORT WORTH -- A robbery suspect entered an west-side donut shop early Friday armed with a BB rifle, but a good Samaritan who came to help a shop employee had a shotgun.

Conclusion: the robbery suspect died from a blast of 12-gauge buckshot to the chest, police said.

The incident was reported about 2 a.m. at the Happy Donuts shop, 109 Roberts Cut Off Road, said Lt. Paul Henderson, police spokesman.

The suspect was Richard Lane, 45, of Fort Worth, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.

"What I understand," Henderson said, "is this particular suspect was known in the area for possibly other criminal activity -- other robberies, other burglaries."

The neighbor who shot the man was not arrested.

Darwin Award - Almost

Didn't it used to be that people went crazy trying to steal gold? Is it just here in Virginia that the people are so low-rent that they go for copper?

A man Richmond police say was trying to steal copper from a Dominion Virginia Power substation was seriously burned Saturday night.

Richard Croker, 36, was taken to VCU Medical Center with burns over 65 percent of his body, authorities said. He was listed in stable condition this morning.

Richmond police said officers were on patrol just before 9 p.m. Saturday when they saw a large ball of fire and explosion at a Dominion substation in the 4300 block of Hull Street Road.

When they pulled up to the fenced-in substation, they found Croker inside with his clothes on fire.

Police said Croker had climbed over the fence and was trying to steal copper wiring.

Police have obtained warrants charging Croker with trespassing, felony destruction of property and larceny. He has not yet been served with the warrants, police spokeswoman Wendy Jenkins said.

Darwin Award IX

When, oh when, will they learn that if you must steal copper wire, you need to turn the power off first.

Around 40,000 volts of electricity killed a 32-year-old would-be copper thief in Ajax on the weekend.

Durham Regional Police confirmed today that the man, found dead inside a hydro substation Saturday, was trying to steal copper wire.

Police said the man used bolt cutters to get into the fenced compound and came into contact with a large transformer, electrocuting himself.

Another Almost-Darwin Driver

This one, from back home.

Darwin Award - Almost

This police officer meets an officer from an adjoining jurisdiction each night, at midnight, at a railroad crossing, to exchange info. Yesterday when he got there, he finds a lost woman sitting in her car talking on her cell phone. He has a hard time convincing her to get out of the car.

For the rest, let's roll the tape. (There's no sound for the first 30 seconds - the officer was too far from his car for it to pick up.)




Damn right you should thank him lady. Next time when an officer tells you to get out of your car, you might want to be a little more cooperative.

Darwin Takes a Vacation

Oh, well. Better luck next time.

Darwin Takes a Holiday

Sometimes even those that need to be sorted out of the gene pool get lucky. Damn.

BEND, Ore. — Last weekend, Kent Couch settled down in his lawn chair with some snacks — and a parachute. Attached to his lawn chair were 105 large helium balloons.

Destination: Idaho.

With instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system device in his pocket, and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast — he could turn a spigot, release water and rise — Couch headed into the Oregon sky.

Nearly nine hours later, the 47-year-old gas station owner came back to earth in a farmer's field near Union, short of Idaho but about 193 miles from home.

Darwin Award - VIII

We have a new winner.

Two teens who died Saturday night in Routt National Forest were smoking and jumping atop an oil tank just before it exploded, the Rio Blanco County Undersheriff said today.

Undersheriff Michael Joos said investigators are looking at the possibility that cigarettes or ashes ignited vapors from the tank.

About 10:15 p.m. Saturday authorities received reports of an explosion. They found the bodies of Fuller and Hedemark, who were thrown more than 400 feet. A dog on the tank was also killed.

Nice Kitty

So, this lady and her daughter rescue an injured kitty on the side of the road, and take it to the vet.

A woman who helped rescue an injured cat on the roadside got a surprise when a veterinarian told her it was a wild and potentially dangerous bobcat.

It makes you wonder what kind of kitties she has in her house to mistake a bobcat for a pet. The kitty is on the loose again.

Veterinarian Andy Duke, the clinic's owner, said the bobcat did not appear to be suffering any pain from the injured paw when he released it about 10:30 p.m. Monday less than a mile from where Eldred had found it.

"It left the cage like calf coming out of a rodeo chute," Duke said.

Darwin Awards VI - Copper Almost Gets Them Again

Why is it stupid people seem to be so attracted to copper? Is it a special form of magnetism? Up in WV -

Forty-eight hours after two men went into an inactive Massey Energy mine in Eastern Kanawha County, allegedly to steal copper, they found their own way out Thursday evening.

A Massey security guard stationed at the hole alerted sheriff’s deputies
after he spotted the men, who were apprehended after a short foot chase,
Rutherford said.

The sheriff said the men would be charged with conspiracy to
commit grand larceny and attempted grand larceny.

Darwin Award

I have to admit, I found this one at Captain's Quarters.

Attempts to do a movie stunt landed one man in the hospital with burned genitals and another facing criminal charges. The men were trying to do a stunt from one of the "Jackass" movies, in which a character lights his genitals on fire.

Jared W. Anderson, 20, suffered serious burns to his hands and genitals, according to the criminal complaint. Randell D. Peterson, 43, who sprayed lighter fluid on Anderson and lit him on fire, was charged with felony battery and first-degree reckless endangerment Tuesday in Eau Claire County Court. ...

Anderson pulled down his pants and let Peterson spray him with lighter fluid. When the fire didn't catch, Peterson sprayed more lighter fluid on Anderson, splashing some on his clothing. He tried again to light the fire, catching Anderson's genitals, hands and clothes.

Anderson ran into the bathroom, jumped into the tub and put the flames out. Other guests took him to Luther Hospital, and eventually he was treated at the Regions Hospital Burn Unit in St. Paul, Minn., for second-degree burns.

Darwin Awards - IV

Well, at least this time it wasn't copper that killed 'em.

BRUSSELS, Belgium — An animal lover was mauled to death by cheetahs after entering their cage at a zoo in northern Belgium, authorities and zoo officials said Monday. Karen Aerts, 37, of Antwerp, was found dead in the cage, Olmense Zoo spokesman Jan Libot said. Police said they ruled out any foul play. Authorities believe Aerts, a regular visitor to the zoo, hid in the park late Sunday until it closed and managed to find the keys to the cheetah cage. "Karen loved animals. Unfortunately the cheetahs betrayed her trust," Libot said. One of the cats that killed Aerts was named Bongo, whom the woman had adopted under a special program. She paid for Bongo's food, Libot said. Animal rights group GAIA called for the immediate closure of the zoo, located 55 miles northeast of Brussels, saying it was unsafe for both visitors and the cats. Rudy Demotte, the Belgian minister responsible for animal welfare, sent a team to investigate.

No, the zoo is perfectly safe for people and animals as designed. It is when someone purposely subverts the security measures, as Ms. Aerts did (and some animal rights nuts are prone to) that the situation becomes unsafe.

Meanwhile, "the cheetahs betrayed her trust"? What, she had some sort of special agreement and understanding with them?

Darwin Awards - Part III

This time, from Texas. Copper gets them again.

The death of 28-year-old Michael Lee Williams Saturday morning is believed by law enforcement to have been caused by electrocution from copper wires he was allegedly stealing.

At the scene, Walker reported, he saw a pair of large red wire cutters tangled in the guide wires to the power pole. “It appears the deceased had attempted to use this guide wire as a ground for the wire cutters,” the report states. On top of the meter loop, he found a shoe print that matched Mr. Williams’ shoe, and a hat and glove were nearby. Walker’s report states “It was apparent from the cut wiring that the deceased had attempted to cut the copper wire from the power pole drop to the meter loop. During this endeavor the deceased had accidentally touched two hot wires together, causing the circuit to be completed, and he was electrocuted.”

Do you remember those copper bracelets that were supposed to cure your arthritis, and attract positive energy, etc.? Maybe what copper is attracting is just a mysterious force I will henceforth dub "stupid." As in "the 'stupid' really seem to be drawn toward this."

Copper, again

What is it about crooks and copper? OK, the price has been up. The copper in an (old) penny is now worth a nickel. But why go to such lengths to steal it when you hold just be hijacking cars instead?

Phone service had to be restored in late December to hundreds of people in the Cabin Creek area after thieves cut the telephone lines for copper.

Also in December, a man whose body was found in the downtown area appeared to have been electrocuted while trying to remove copper cable from a utility pole, Point Pleasant police said.

In September, ten adults and four juveniles were charged in a suspected theft ring that netted up to $200,000 worth of copper from four coal mines in Upshur County, including the Sago Mine.

Last August, two men had to be rescued from an abandoned mine in Mammoth, Kanawha County, where they got stuck after apparently going in to steal copper wiring.

Well, at least not all of these people wind up on my Darwin Award list, though it sounds like it was a close thing.