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As with any year, 2008 was full of unexpected deaths that made the world a poorer place. But on the other hand, it was also full of unexpected deaths that removed a bunch of useless idiots from the gene pool.

The website "The Darwin Awards" collects these stories and then lets users vote on the best (meaning stupidest) deaths to have occurred in the last twelve months.

As usual, the 2008 winners are by turns hilarious, sad and a warning -- don't put a tree shredder under your ladder, don't try to jump bridges on a motorbike, and don't try to break the world record for flying on helium balloons.

Take a look at the top ten in our gallery below:

Darwin Awards 2008

    In an attempt to set the world record for clustered balloon flight, a priest strapped himself to a column of helium-filled balloons. The problem? The winds changed and he was blown out to sea. While he called for help he didn't know how to use his GPS unit to direct rescuers to his position and he was lost to the ocean.

    (Link)

    AP Images

    A man was queued at a traffic light in his Porsche. Before the light there was a rail crossing, and a train was approaching (not pictured). The man did not let the queue progress forward far enough before he crossed the railroad, and his car became trapped. Eventually the man jumped from the car and started to run -- toward the oncoming train -- in an attempt to save his car but needless to say, the attempt was not successful. Neither were attempts to revive him.

    (Link)

    AP Images

    Two farmers (not pictured) thought it would be funny to swap a sign warning drivers of an approaching trench to the other side of the road. They drove into town, got drunk, and on their return forgot about their prank and drove into the trench themselves. Ouch.

    (Link)

    Getty Images

    Three soldiers decided to cut down a tree (not pictured) and pull it away from a nearby house. However they forgot that the tree weighed several tons. Since their ropes were tied around their wrists, the men were thrown into the air when it landed and were killed. Idiots.

    (Link)

    Getty Images

    A man decided to cut down steel cable from a disused elevator shaft (not pictured) to sell for scrap. Sadly he forgot to stand away from the path of the counterweight, which upon the cable being cut plummeted down and crushed him.

    (Link)

    Getty Images

    A tree-cutter (not pictured) attempts to save time by placing his tree shredder directly underneath his ladder. Cue falling man, violent death, etc etc.

    (Link)

    Getty Images

    A woman drives home with lots of chemicals in the car. The chemicals smell, so the woman pours them out into a sewer. The chemicals combine in the sewer and explode, decapitating the woman with a flying manhole cover.

    (Link)

    Getty Images

    A man is hunting in the woods when his dog grabs a bone. In an attempt to wrest the bone from the dog, a man attempts to hit it with the butt of his shotgun. The shotgun falls and fires, killing the man and leaving the dog to enjoy his bone.

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    Getty Images

    A snowmobile driver attempts to chase a rabbit and run it over. The rabbit dives into a hole in the side of the road, the snowmobile driver follows, smashes into the side of the road and explodes.

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    A man attempts to jump a draw bridge, forgetting to watch out for safety barriers. He is thrown into the river below and dies. Good one.

    (Link)

    Getty Images