Chief of Segway Company Killed by own Product

Jimi Heselden, owner of the company that makes the Segway scooter, was found dead, with his Segway, in the water of River Wharfe in England on Monday. The report said that it is likely Heselden lost control of his Segway on a wooded path a fell the 30 foot drop into the river. A passerby saw a body drop from the cliff and called the authorities. Heselden bought the company that manufactures Segways last year. He was a British business man ranked 395th on the Sunday Times Rich List. He was 62. The Segway is a motorised scooter held upright by a gyroscope and moves based on the way the rider leans. It costs about $5000.

As of now, the Segway is not considered a street legal vehicle and proponents say that this accident will not help matters. In 2006 Segway scooters were recalled because they would malfunction by moving backwards unwantedly, causing the rider to fall.