Segway boss dies riding a Segway

The owner of Segway, Jimi Heselden, 62, died yesterday as a result of a strange accident that occurred when, riding one of his machines, he fell off a cliff.

According to witnesses, Heselden was yesterday testing a special version of the Segway designed to travel over dirt and gravel tracks around his estate in North Yorkshire. At one point he lost control and plunged off a cliff into the River Wharfe.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said today: “The police received a call yesterday at 11:40 a.m. reporting the presence of a man in the River Wharfe, who had apparently fallen down the riverbank.”

“The Segway was recovered, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. At this stage we do not believe there is anything suspicious about the death, beyond the accident itself.”

Jimi Heselden’s fortune is estimated at more than 170 million euros. However, he was well known for his generosity. One of his most recent gestures was the donation of 10 million euros to the charitable foundation he himself created.

Source | Autocar