June 2013
“27 February 2012, North Carolina) “It was just a freak incident,” said an investigator, that caused the death of 43-year-old Gary Allen Banning. Gary was at a friend’s apartment when he spotted a salsa jar containing a mystery fluid. Thinking that it was an alcoholic beverage, he helped himself to a sizeable swig of gasoline! Naturally enough, he immediately spit out the offending liquid onto his clothes. Then, to recover from the shock, Gary lit a cigarette.
Whoosh! Gas Flame=Combustion. Firefighters responded to calls reporting a fire in the apartment, and found a badly burned man sitting on a charred carpet. The following morning, Gasoline Gary died at the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill. Two mistakes caused his death. The first mistake was minor: gulping a golden liquid from a salsa jar. Although Darwin Awards editors feel that a jar of yellow liquid is best left sealed, drinking its contents usually does not lead to combustion. But the second mistake—lighting up a cigarette to recover from the shock of taking a mouthful of gasoline—was a decision that an average five year old would consider questionable. As the late Bill Hicks said, “Darn, we lost another idiot.” Gary’s friend was a mechanic and kept the jar of gasoline near the kitchen sink to remove grease from his hands.” —2012 Darwin Award: Smokin’ Hot Sauce!
Whoosh! Gas Flame=Combustion. Firefighters responded to calls reporting a fire in the apartment, and found a badly burned man sitting on a charred carpet. The following morning, Gasoline Gary died at the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill. Two mistakes caused his death. The first mistake was minor: gulping a golden liquid from a salsa jar. Although Darwin Awards editors feel that a jar of yellow liquid is best left sealed, drinking its contents usually does not lead to combustion. But the second mistake—lighting up a cigarette to recover from the shock of taking a mouthful of gasoline—was a decision that an average five year old would consider questionable. As the late Bill Hicks said, “Darn, we lost another idiot.” Gary’s friend was a mechanic and kept the jar of gasoline near the kitchen sink to remove grease from his hands.” —2012 Darwin Award: Smokin’ Hot Sauce!
