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2008 February Slush
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Fatal Ski Slope Prank
Monk killed by own runaway lawnmowe
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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
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Monk killed by own runaway lawnmowe

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

A Monk was killed when he was run over by his own sit-on lawnmower as he trimmed the grass at a convent, an inquest heard.

Moments before, the 50-year-old was seen running after the driverless machine as it set off in the 12-acre grounds of a peace temple.

The Milton Keynes coroner heard that 10 years earlier, Rev Seiji Handa had lost three fingers in another lawnmower accident.

An eye-witness told the jury how she had found the Buddhist monk after he had fallen beneath the blades of the mower at the Peace Pagoda in Milton Keynes, Bucks.

Venita Slater said she saw Mr Handa chasing the machine as it pulled away from him while he was cutting lawns at the peace temple.

She said that the monk was dragged underneath the blades as he tried to get into the cab and regain control.

The mother-of-two said: "The tractor was running away and he was chasing it to stop it. I looked up but he had disappeared."

Emergency services were called, but Mr Handa had died instantly. A post mortem examination revealed that he died of multiple injuries.

Taran Hewitt, from the Health and Safety Executive, said officials had inspected the diesel vehicle and found that it should not have been in service.

The ratchet on the handbrake was not working, the brakes were not able to hold the tractor steady and the footbrake did not work.

Mr Hewitt said: "The only way to get the tractor to stay stationary was to turn the engine off and leave it in gear. It should not have been used."

Mr Handa was in charge of maintenance of the tractor and was also responsible for cutting the grass in the grounds of the convent, where he lived.

The jury heard that he was born in Japan and became a Buddhist monk at the age of 21 years. He was ordained at a peace pagoda in Sri Lanka.

He arrived in Milton Keynes in 1978 and built a temple with the help of nuns and volunteers.

The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

The coroner, Rodney Corner, said: "He got out of the cab and desperately tried to get back in. He must have slipped on wet grass. It was just an unfortunate accident."

Submitted on 02/25/2008

Submitted by: Rick Benson
Reference: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/25/nmonk125.xml 25/02/08

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
So, he was responsible for the maintenance. He should have been very aware of the problems this. Give the monk an award. I think he earned it. Thanks, Rick


Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Sounds like he should have gotten a new mower 10 years ago when he lost his fingers. Thanks, Rick!


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