Man electrocuted to death after trying to take a selfie on top of a stopped train

Man electrocuted to death after trying to take a selfie on top of a stopped train

Perhaps it's time to cool it on the selfies. A 21-year-old Spanish man died Saturday after he was struck by a high-voltage wire while climbing atop a stopped train in order to take a photo of himself and friends. He had assumed the wire was not electrified, according to reports from the southern city of Andújar.

The 3,500-volt discharge instantly killed the man, police say. Another friend survived the shock and remains in serious condition at a local hospital. The town's mayor has declared the next three days of mourning.

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.