Jennifer Lea Strange’s death was certainly strange.  In a fatal accident  that stemmed from a contest at a California radio station, Strange died from drinking too much water. A jury recently held the radio station’s parent company, Entercom Communications Corp. liable for $16.57 million dollars in a wrongful death suit.

Strange took part in a water-drinking competition cleverly titled “Hold your Wee for a Wii”, with the prize being a Nintendo Wii.  In the competition, contestants sat in a room at the radio station and were given water to drink at fifteen minute intervals, all while refraining from urinating or vomiting.

The radio station had been aware of previous cases in California involving water intoxication, particularly the death of Matt Carrington in 2005, where he suffered brain damage from a hazing ritual.  Furthermore, researchers at the University of California at San Diego had been concerned about water-intoxication among marathon runners.  Despite these warnings and despite the caveats from callers to the station that very morning, the station proceeded with the competition. 

In their defense, they argued contributory negligence on the part of Strange, claiming that she had been aware of the repercussions.  They also responded to on-air callers by claiming that the contestants couldn’t sue because they had signed a waiver to that extent.