Let’s face it: everyone makes mistakes, but some go the extra mile—and then right through a fence, into raw sewage. Meet Benjamin, a 23-year-old whose need for speed sent him careening into one of the most unfortunate endings imaginable. Buckle up; this one’s a doozy.
When speed meets sewage
On a fateful night in 1999, Benjamin took his 1998 Mazda pickup for a spirited spin near a wastewater treatment plant in Maine. Perhaps inspired by a love for cutting corners (literally), he attempted a sharp right turn at a velocity more fitting for a racetrack. Spoiler alert: the corner won.
Instead of hitting the brakes, Benjamin hit a chain-link fence, zipped across an easement, and burst through a post-and-rail barrier. What awaited him on the other side? A 400,000-gallon tank of raw sewage, unfortunately left uncovered. His truck plunged 16 feet to the bottom, where divers later found him—along with his now-baptized ride.
It’s hard to think of a worse way to drown. The official autopsy didn’t reveal a cause of death, but let’s be honest: it’s hard to survive when life quite literally flushes you away.
A farming flop: manure meets mishap
Benjamin’s tale isn’t the only messy story on this list. In 2000, Andrew met his maker in an equally undignified farming accident at Crooked Creek Farm, Pennsylvania. While tending to equipment, Andrew slipped into a manure spreader—a device that does exactly what you think it does.
Rescue crews attempted to save him, but blunt force trauma proved fatal. It’s safe to say Andrew learned the hard way that farming isn’t all sunshine and fresh air.
Lessons from the tank
If there’s a silver lining in these truly tragic stories, it’s that they remind us to respect physics, double-check equipment, and maybe, just maybe, slow down before sharp turns. As for manure spreaders—well, the less said, the better.
Life is full of twists and turns, but it’s important to remember that recklessness can land you in a stinky situation—sometimes literally. Let’s honor Benjamin and Andrew by driving safely and keeping all four wheels on solid ground. Life’s too short to go out with a splash—or a splat.
