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Jury awards $16.5m in radio contest death

Associated Press / October 30, 2009

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SACRAMENTO - A Sacramento County jury has awarded $16.5 million to the family of a 28-year-old woman who died after participating in a radio station’s water-drinking contest.

Jennifer Strange, a mother of three, died of acute water intoxication in January 2007 after the challenge to see which contestant could drink the most water without going to the bathroom. A Nintendo Wii video game system was the prize for winning the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii’’ contest.

Yesterday, jurors found Entercom Communications Corp., based in Philadelphia, and its Sacramento subsidiary liable for the actions of its employees at Sacramento radio station KDND-FM. The station fired 10 employees after her death.

During the trial, Entercom argued that Strange should have known the contest could be dangerous.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.