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Woman injured at Punkin Chunkin files federal lawsuit against Delaware officials, organizers

Randall Chase
Associated Press

A woman who was critically injured when an air cannon exploded during a Delaware pumpkin-launching competition has filed a federal lawsuit against event organizers and participants, state officials and Discovery Communications.

Paramedics tend to an injured person after a piece of metal flew off of an air cannon, striking them in the head, at the World Championship Punkin Chunkin in Bridgeville on Sunday afternoon.

Suzanne Dakessian claims in Wednesday’s lawsuit that she was left with severe and permanent injuries because of negligence and wrongful conduct by the defendants.

The defendants include Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which inspected the air cannon through its boiler safety program.

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Dakessian was injured at last year’s Punkin Chunkin when a trap door blew off a cannon called the “Pumpkin Reaper.”

At the time, Dakessian was managing a camera crew for Sharp Entertainment, which was producing a television special for Discovery’s Science Channel.

After the accident, the airing of the scheduled three-hour special was canceled.

Dakessian's lawsuit seeks, among other things, economic and non-economic damages, as well as compensation for past and future pain and suffering and other relief the court deems just.

Frank Payton, president of the World Punkin Chunkin Championship Association, could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.

The federal lawsuit comes less than a week after Payton said that without more sponsors, this year's Punkin Chunkin could be the last.

The event, now in its 32nd edition, is scheduled for November.

Punkin Chunkin returned in 2016 after a two-year hiatus prompted by an accident and lawsuit. A personal injury lawsuit filed in 2013 spawned insurance problems – the complaint was filed by an ATV driver seriously injured in a rollover accident, but was later dismissed.

The three-day event returned to the Wheatley Farms in Bridgeville. It was the final day of the weekend-long event when Dakessian's injury occurred. 

Judges had already seen about 10 air cannons fire pumpkins more than 3,000 feet using compressed air.

A 56-year-old man was also injured.

 

Esteban Parra contributed to this story.