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Do not Duck Under the Roller Coaster

(1998, California) Tales of
roller-coaster accidents are the stuff of
nightmares. It turns out that such
tragedies are less common than
folklore would have us believe. In "The
Science of Roller Coasters," Ted
Oehmke reveals that there have been
"only 42 such deaths in the last 11
years."

It is tempting to dwell upon whether the
number 42 is a coincidence, or just
exceedingly improbable. At any rate,
such a fate was suffered by one
particularly unfortunate gentleman on
the Top Gun coaster at Great America.

The recipient of this Darwin Award lost
his hat on the ride. After exiting the
platform, he climbed two fences to
retrieve his hat, only to lose his head
when a passenger's foot kicked his
neck and derailed his plans.

The woman broke her leg, and is suing
for damages.

(1999 Darwin Awards)