18 Unlucky Inventors Who Were Ironically Killed By Their Own Inventions

11Sabin Arnold von Sochocky

Sabin Arnold von Sochocky

Sabin Arnold von Sochocky invented the first radium-based luminescent paint but eventually died of aplastic anemia resulting from his exposure to the radioactive material.


12William Nelson

William Nelson

William Nelson (1879−1903), a General Electric employee, invented a new way to motorize bicycles. He then fell off his prototype bike during a test run and died.


13William Bullock

William Bullock

William Bullock (1813–1867) invented the web rotary printing press. Several years after its invention, his foot was crushed during the installation of the new machine in Philadelphia. The crushed foot developed gangrene and Bullock died during the amputation.


14Aurel Vlaicu

Aurel Vlaicu

Aurel Vlaicu (1882–1913) died when his self-constructed airplane, Vlaicu II, failed during an attempt to cross the Carpathian Mountains by air.


15Michael Dacre

Michael Dacre

Michael Dacre (died 2009, aged 53) died after testing his flying taxi device designed to permit fast, affordable travel between regional cities.


16Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier was the first known fatality in an air crash when his Rozière balloon crashed on 15 June 1785 while he and Pierre Romain attempted to cross the English Channel.


17Horace Lawson Hunley

Horace Lawson Hunley

Horace Lawson Hunley (died 1863, age 40), Confederate marine engineer and inventor of the first combat submarine, Hunley, died during a trial of his vessel. During a routine test of the submarine, which had already suffered one accident, Hunley took command. After failing to resurface, Hunley and the seven other crew members drowned. The navy salvaged the submarine and put it back into use.


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18Henry Smolinski

Henry Smolinski

Henry Smolinski (died 1973) was killed during a test flight of the AVE Mizar, a flying car based on the Ford Pinto and the sole product of the company he founded.

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