Remember back to January of 2007, when the Wii had just come out, and was the hottest thing on the market; no one could get one.
Unfortunately for one Jennifer Strange, a couple of Sacramento radio hosts for the program “Morning Wave” had gained possession of one of the coveted consoles, and decided to hold a contest for listeners to claim the prize. The contest, dubbed “Hold Your Wee for a Wii,” had contestants see how much water they could drink before using the toilet.
Strange attempted to win the effort for her three children, but lost her life due to water intoxication in the process. And though no charges were filed against the radio station, the case still went to court and was settled this week.
With at least one caller advising against the stunt and one of the now-fired hosts mentioning the 2005 death of a college student during a similar hazing ritual, the jury of the Sacramento County Superior Court found Entercom Sacramento, who operated the station KDND-FM (107.9) “The End,” guilty of negligence for ignoring the warnings.
Strange — one of 20 contestants — initially joked lightheartedly with the show hosts as she and the others chugged bottled water. But as the hours wore on, it came down to Strange and one other woman contending for the grand prize, and she admitted to having a splitting headache and feeling wobbly. Strange quipped on the air that “it looks like I’m pregnant again.” — The LA Times
Following the end of the contest (which Strange sadly enough didn’t even win), she rushed alongside winner Lucy Davidson to the station’s washroom to vomit. She then called her employer, stating she was too sick to come in that day, and proceeded to go home, where her body was later discovered by her mother.
“Jennifer Strange’s death was a tragedy,” said Entercom spokesman Charles Sipkins in a statement. “Our hearts go out to all of her loved ones, including, in particular, her husband and children. While legal restrictions preclude us from commenting further on the verdict, we respect the jury’s decision and hope that it will assist the Strange family in coping with its loss.”
With the jury’s verdict came the decision to award Strange’s family $16 million dollars.
