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2008 January Slush
(UL)Roping A Deer
(Hmmm)Tiger, not lion, kills 1, injurs 2
(DA)Pulled into the abyss
(?)Rich and Overconfident
(Hmm)White Spirit IS Flammable
(?)VA Man Shot to Death While Beating
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(?)Un-happy slapper
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Conveyor belt outlasts runner
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(HM)Home Made IED
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Auger to Heaven
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(NO)Disabled man turned himself into hu
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MANS BEST FRIEND???
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gangsta guns & fireworks don't mix
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(DA)A series of Im-Pined Events
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Is half a Darwin better then none?
highway worker nearly earns award
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Do Tell
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Next Time Buy a Ticket!
Man Shot Himself In Genitals During
1 shoot closes slaying case
When Couch Potatoes Take Root.
Men shoot themselves in tattoo atte
Making Deadly Gas at Home
German man goes out with X-mas Tree
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vodka+viagra death
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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Need for Speed

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Darwin says, "Kids hotrodding are not really dumb or astounding enough to merit that most ignoble of prizes, the Darwin Award."
Verbatim from Gainesville Sun 1/28/08 p. 1B Title: Before dying in crash that killed five, teen sought speeding advice Story: Ocala -- Less than 12 hours before he died, Joshua Ammirato was posting messages on an Internet message board seeking advice about how to drive his 2008 BMW M5 faster.

Ammirato, 18, logged onto M5board.com Thursday and Friday, asking other M5 drivers how to shift smoother in his 500-horsepower machine.

"The problem is when I'm going pedal to metal pushing 140 and upshifting, there tends to be thud noise with the gear change," he wrote in one post.

Ammirato and four other young Marion County men were killed at about 3:45 a.m Saturday, when the BMW M5 he was driving sailed off the end of the Greystone airstrip (!!!) in Anthony and crashed into a tree.

Messages on the board devoted to M5 enthusiasts show Ammirato logged on shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday as "AmericanM5."

"Let me say I am a beginner when it comes to high performance cars as I am only 18 so take it easy on me," he wrote.

Other members of the board expressed skepticism that Ammirato could have a car with a base price of $82,900 at such a young age, but warned him to take it easy until he gained more driving experience.

"Maybe your 2 years driving experience in your whole life is the problem," one member wrote.

"The fact that I never drove a manual car before may be true, but I've been driving for a lot longer than two years buddy," Ammirato responded.

(p. 2B) (Subtitle: Driver had car about 3 weeks)

Ammirato's M5, according to his posts, was equipped with a "sequential manual gearbox," which shifts like a traditional manual transmission, but without a clutch pedal.

Automobile Magazine has described the M5 as "a fearfully intimidating machine," with writer Michael Jordan adding "we've found that the SMG transmission...makes you feel like a victim of speed, not its master."

Ammirato told forum members he'd had the car for about three weeks. The vehicle is registered to his father, Santo Ammirato, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

In his posts, Joshua Ammirato listed his other cars as a 2008 BMW 535i, a 2007 BMW 535i and a 2007 Cadillac Escalade. All have less horsepower than the M5.

News of Ammirato's death drew condolences from forum members on Saturday and Sunday.

"My prayers are with Josh and his family as well. Being that I am 21 and going on my second M5 I know the temptation is great and sometimes hard to handle at that age," one member wrote. [Future Darwin Award? C]

Another hoped others would learn from the tragedy.

"Truly a sad, sad event. May God be with the families and friends," the post read. "Hope that they have not died completely in vain -- that many young drivers (and their parents) will take this to heart and learn from it."

Submitted on 01/28/2008

Submitted by: (Ms.) Caron Cadle
Reference: Gainesville Sun, 1/28/08

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

Great? 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Awful?
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>> Moderator Scores <<

Chip said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
Much more information for Darwin to see. Thanks, Caron


Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
We've already received numerous submissions about this story but this one does add a bit more detail, especially the arrogance of the driver involved. Thanks, Caron!


$5 Darwin Fish.
6" x 2.25" Silver Emblem like those commonly seen on cars
only way sexier. A cute fish, floating belly-up, illustrating
the mechanism of natural selection. Minimum order is 2.
  

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