I never knew the precise details on how ballet legend Isadora Duncan died until I was living in Arlington County, and saw a book on her in one of my roommate Sandra's bedroom book shelf, one of dozens of books on ballet and ballet-related personalities, like Darci Kistler, "Mr. B." and many others. http://www.nycballet.com/index.html
That Duncan died a tragic and senseless death 14 years after her two children died as a direct result of an equally tragic and senseless accident, also involving a car, is very chilling.
The awful lesson taught by Suzanne Cornwell's senseless death below is one I've been somewhat
hyper-vigilant about since first reading that book on Isadora Duncan and absorbing the lesson.
I've been a real stickler about extra-long scarves, purses and long jackets with girlfriends and female friends and family members for years, because it only takes one moment of inattention to lead to tragedy.
Not unlike the valuable lesson of bike helmets that I learned while living in Evanston, IL in the
mid-1980's, and regularly seeing someone slightly-older than me over at the Evanston Public Library, usually by himself at a table near the periodicals.
I eventually asked enough people about him and learned the tragic story about how his happy suburban life was turned upside down as a result of a moment's carelessness, when he chose not to wear a bike helmet on a neighborhood sidewalk.
Just "one of those things."
His health and physical abilties changed drastically for the worse forever, his family and marriage gradually disintegrated and his hip, upscale lifestyle soon became a thing of the past, replaced by hours spent reading magazines and newspapers in the public library as his day's highlight. :-(
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The Daily Mail
Teenage girl killed after her scarf got tangled up in speeding go-kart during after-hours track session
By Daily Mail Reporter
December 14, 2009
A teenage girl died after her scarf got caught in a go-kart and strangled her.
Suzanne Cornwell, 18, was one of a group of people invited to a racing track for a private after-hours session.
A member of staff, who would normally have locked up by 9pm, let Suzanne, from Hardwick, near Cambridge, and her friends in and allowed them to start racing.
But Suzanne's scarf came loose, before getting caught in the engine, and cutting off her airways
Read the rest of the sad story at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1235661/Teenage-girl-killed-scarf-gets-tangled-kart.html
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isadora_Duncan
See Daily Mail update of February 8, 2012;
Girl, 18, was 'strangled to death by own scarf in freak go-karting accident'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2098353/Suzanne-Cornwell-inquest-Teenager-strangled-death-scarf-freak-karting-accident.html
