Corey Scott
| Corey Scott | |
|---|---|
 Scott attempting the fatal motorcycle jump at the Miami Orange Bowl | |
| Born |
Corey L. Scott December 28, 1968 Decatur, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died |
February 8, 1997 (aged 28) Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Motorcycle accident |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Motorcycle stunt rider |
Corey L. Scott (December 28, 1968 – February 8, 1997)[1] was an American professional motorcycle stunt rider, who died during a live stunt in front of a crowd of spectators at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, while attempting to perform a dangerous step-up jump on a motorcycle. The fatal accident was captured on camera.[2]
Accident
On the night of Saturday, February 8, 1997, Scott was performing at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, Florida at a Monster Truck Exhibition. A packed crowd full of excited spectators watched Scott attempt a dangerous step-up jump. Scott drove up a steep ramp on his motorcycle and was supposed to land into a net that was hoisted high into the air. Scott jumped over 70 feet high on his motorcycle.[3] He was meant to grab the net upon hitting it, but he missed, bounced out, and fell on the flat ground below. He landed on his head, broke his neck, and suffered other serious head and chest injuries. Scott was rushed to the Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The shocking fatality was witnessed by thousands and was caught on camera by people filming in the crowd. Scott had performed the stunt four times before with no problem. He was twenty-eight-years-old at the time of his death.[4]
Aftermath
Many of the spectators in the crowd had been young children and they were deeply traumatized by witnessing the graphic death of Scott live. Parents reacted angrily and were hostile toward the organizers of the event. The promoters were blamed, and the death was reported as being totally avoidable and absolutely unnecessary. Many complained that the promoters should not have allowed Scott to attempt the jump without a simple safety net to catch him if something went wrong. In 2008, the Orange Bowl stadium, where Scott performed the fatal motorcycle stunt, was completely demolished. The site is now occupied by Marlins Park, the home of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball. Footage of the fatal stunt was all caught on video camera by people in the crowd filming the exhibition. The footage has been shown on television documentaries as well as the 1998 shockumentary film, Banned from Television.[5]