You've heard that classic public relations person rationalization that all publicity is good publicity.  I don't think so.   UN peacekeepers from Denmark trading food to kids for sex didn't do wonders for the credibility of peacekeeping operations by the European military, for example, and the owner of the Segway company driving one off a cliff won't do much for lifting restrictions that keep them off of sidewalks and bike lanes.   And instead on the private estates of kooks.

Obviously, accidents happen.  People die in car crashes every day and that publicity does not kill cars but cars have proven value.  Yet most of the time people on Segways just look like this, from "Arrested Development":