Inventors Who Were Killed By Their Inventions

Speed Kills

Valerian Abakovsky was a Latvian born inventor. He must have been of considerable mechanical talent to dream up his most notable invention, the Aerowagon. His primary profession was that of chauffeur for what was then known as the Soviet secret police. It is believed that his proximity to these high state individuals allowed him to propose the idea of building a high-speed train. The project was funded, and he attached an airplane engine to a rail car. On its first run, it traveled from Moscow to Tula at speeds of 140 km/hr. The ride must have been exhilarating! On the way back it derailed at high speed, killing the inventor and six passengers.