Ryan Dunn

[Jolie Rouge]

Ryan Dunn and 'The Grim Reaper's Company Car'
By Robert Stacy McCain on 6.20.11 @ 7:47PM

Ryan Dunn became famous -- or perhaps "notorious" is a better word -- for doing outrageous stunts on the 2000-2002 MTV series Jackass, which led to three big-screen movies. Dunn died early Monday morning when he lost control of his Porsche 911 GT3 in West Goshen, Pennsylvania.

Dunn had reportedly been drinking with friends prior to the crash, and was killed along with a yet-to-be-identified passenger when his 2007 Porsche jumped a guard rail, hit a tree and burst into flames. With official understatement, police said " speed may have been a contributing factor to the accident."

While speed almost certainly was a factor -- the GT3's top speed is over 190 mph -- Dunn was driving a car well-known for handling difficulties. The Porsche 911's rear-engine design makes it prone to skidding sideways. "All that weight in the back, swinging around like a big pendulum, ready to punish you the first time you run out of straight road," said Richard Hammond, host of BBC's Top Gear program, who called it "the Grim Reaper's company car."

http://spectator.org/blog/2011/06/20...-grim-reapers#


'Jackass' Star Dies In Car Crash
Mon Jun 20, 2:00 pm ET

Ryan Dunn, one of the stars of MTV's "Jackass," has died in a car crash. He was 34.

NBC Philadelphia reports that Dunn and another passenger died in a 3 a.m crash at Route 322 and New Street in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania.

The news of the death was confirmed by April Margera, mother of "Jackass" star Bam, in an interview with a local radio show. TMZ also confirmed with Margera.

Dunn posted to Twitter a photo of himself drinking with friends just hours before the crash.

A police report indicated that Dunn was most likely speeding in his 2007 Porsche 911 GT3, which was destroyed in the wreck. "Upon arrival, police located one vehicle in the road and in the woods that was fully engulfed in flames," the report said. "DUI" was not indicated in the report.

So often fearless, Dunn was known for so many stunts, including his parts in crashing golf carts and placing a toy car, in a condom, up his rectum in the original "Jackass" film. His "Jackass" co-star Johnny Knoxville spoke of his devastation at the news on Twitter.

"Today I lost my brother Ryan Dunn. My heart goes out to his family and his beloved Angie. RIP Ryan , I love you buddy. http://say.ly/hUnqQQ," he wrote.

Reached by RadarOnline.com, April Margera expressed her devastation at the news.

“I have not been able to talk with Bam as he is in Arizona but I cannot believe that his friend is dead – I felt like I lost one of my own sons when I heard that Ryan Dunn had died," Margera said. “Ryan was a wonderful person he really was the sweetest and nicest guy - he was like my extra son, everybody loved him. He had a longterm girlfriend and she will be absolutely devastated - she has turned off her phone just now. It’s just so sad we cannot believe Ryan has gone - I’m too upset to say anything else just now.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/201...thc3NzdGFyZA--


'Jackass' star Ryan Dunn dies in fiery Pa. crash
Associated Press - 53 minutes ago

PHILADELPHIA - "Jackass" star Ryan Dunn, who along with his cast mates made Americans cringe and snicker through vulgar stunts in their multimillion-dollar TV and movie franchise, was killed early Monday in a fiery car crash. He was 34.

Dunn, a daredevil who gained notoriety for diving into a sewage tank and performing other unsavory stunts, was driving his 2007 Porsche in suburban Philadelphia when it careened off the road, flipped over a guardrail and crashed into the woods before bursting into flames. A passenger, Zachary Hartwell, 30, of West Chester, Pa., was also killed, and speed may have been a factor in the crash, West Goshen Township police said.

The force of impact shattered the vehicle into several twisted and blackened pieces, leaving the Porsche 911 GT3 unrecognizable except for a door that was thrown from the crash and not incinerated. A 100-foot-long tire skid marked where the car left the roadway.

Both Dunn and Hartwell were severely burned. Police said they were able to identify Dunn through his tattoos and hair.

Dunn appeared on MTV shows "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam" and the three "Jackass" big-screen adaptations. He also was the star of his own MTV show, "Homewrecker," and just began hosting the show "Proving Ground" on the G4 cable network.

G4 spokesman Dave Welch said "Proving Ground," which premiered June 11 with the second episode slated to air Tuesday, was being pulled for now until the network can discuss the show's future.

Dunn's longtime friend and fellow "Jackass" daredevil Johnny Knoxville tweeted on Monday afternoon, "Today I lost my brother Ryan Dunn. My heart goes out to his family and his beloved Angie. RIP Ryan, I love you buddy."

Dunn also starred in the yet-to-be-released film "Living Will." The film's website describes Dunn's character as a "party bum slacker (who) returns from the dead as a mischievous and perverted ghost."

In a statement, MTV praised Dunn's humor and enthusiasm and said he would be missed. "We are devastated by the tragic loss of Ryan Dunn — a beloved member of the MTV family for more than a decade," said Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music/Films Group. "The Jackass brotherhood will never be the same."

Dunn was born in Ohio and moved at age 15 to Pennsylvania, where he met Bam Margera on his first day of high school, according to a biography posted on his website.

Dunn, Margera, Christopher Raab (known as Raab Himself) and Brandon DiCamillo, under the moniker CKY for "Camp Kill Yourself," started making videos that featured them skateboarding and performing stunts.

Dunn was working as a welder and at a gas station when Knoxville, a friend of Margera's through the skateboarding circuit, asked the crew to allow their videos to be part of the series "Jackass," which became a hit on MTV and ran from 2000 to 2002.

Perhaps his most famous stunt, in 2002's "Jackass: The Movie," involved inserting a toy car into his rectum and going to an emergency room, where he made up a story that he was in mysterious pain after passing out at a fraternity party. Dunn's X-ray from the hospital became a popular T-shirt for "Jackass" fans.

That first movie, filmed on a budget of just $5 million, went on to make more than $60 million in the United States alone. The most recent installment, released in 3-D in 2010, brought in $50 million on its opening weekend alone.

In a 2000 stunt, he dived into a tank at a raw sewage plant wearing flippers, a mask and a snorkel.

A few hours before the 3 a.m. crash, Dunn tweeted a picture of himself drinking with two friends. The photo has since been removed.

Autopsies were to be conducted Monday, though it was unclear when the results would be released.

According to court documents, Dunn was charged in April 2005 with driving under the influence after crashing his car in West Whiteland Township, about 2 miles north of Monday's crash site. The documents show he successfully completed a program designed for first-time, nonviolent offenders that allows charges to be dismissed after defendants finish the program.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/jackass-st...pa-crash/65519

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[pepperpot]

I saw that last night. What a shame but no doubt, he was doing something stupid.

[Jolie Rouge]

Roger Ebert defends Tweet about "Jackass" star
Alex Dobuzinskis – Tue Jun 21, 6:24 pm ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Film critic Roger Ebert on Tuesday defended an admonition against drunk driving he posted on Twitter in response to the death of "Jackass" star Ryan Dunn, who was photographed drinking before his car crash. But the influential Chicago Sun-Times movie critic, who has come under fire from "Jackass" star Bam Margera and online commentators, also expressed regret that his Twitter one-liner, which was posted on Monday, was considered cruel.

Dunn died Monday and Ebert tweeted, "Friends don't let jackasses drink and drive."

Dunn, 34, a bearded daredevil who co-starred in the "Jackass" movie franchise featuring pranks and stunts, was killed along with his passenger Zachary Hartwell when the car Dunn was driving careened off a highway in Pennsylvania and burst into flames, police said.

Authorities will not know for certain if alcohol played a role in the crash until at least four weeks, when they have the results of toxicology tests, according to media reports. But Dunn posted a photo to Twitter shortly before the crash, which seemed to show him drinking with friends.

Ebert wrote an online blog post on Tuesday to explain and defend the tweet that some had considered insensitive.

The critic began by offering his sympathy to the family and friends of Dunn and Hartwell. "I also regret that my tweet about the event was considered cruel," Ebert said in his post. "It was not intended as cruel. It was intended as true."

Ebert noted that media reports have said Dunn drank three light beers and three shots before he took the wheel. "I don't know what happened in this case, and I was probably too quick to tweet," Ebert wrote. "That was unseemly."

Nevertheless, Ebert ended his post on Tuesday with the catchphrase, "Friends don't let friends drink and drive."

The critic's original tweet drew an angry response from Margera, who as a young man made home video stunts with Dunn and later starred with him in three "Jackass" movies. "I just lost my best friend, I have been crying hysterical for a full day and (expletive) roger ebert has the gall to put in his 2 cents," Margera wrote.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110621/...9nZXJlYmVydGRl


Good for him for defending what he said. I agree, it may have been made in haste but it is the truth. You drink and then drive, you do run the risk of dying.

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It is true that a true friend will take away your keys and call you a cab. Sadly, most people do not have the courage to do this. They want to be seen as likable and cool. Also, people who have been drinking ARE capable of deciding they can't drive and that they need a cab. This story was a tragedy for all involved. It happens every day to many people, because most don't make a plan ahead of time for how they will get home after their night of partying. MAKE A PLAN BEFORE YOU GO TO THE BAR, PEOPLE!

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Don't apologize Roger, he was a jackass. He was a drunk that not only lost his life, but that of his passenger. It is about time everyone stopped defending indefensible behavior. As far as I am concerned he killed his passenger.

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So do the jackass fans defend all drunk driving killers, or just the ones they hero worship?

I am sure there are a ton of drunk drivers in prison who are more than willing to shove stuff up their *** so you guys will come to their defense as strongly as you have Ryan Dunn.

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As if Bam Margera is one to talk. Wasn't he facing serious prison time a couple of years ago on a felony DWI offense? Both Margera and Dunn were idiots who got very lucky and became famous for being well....idiots.

[pepperpot]

The critic's original tweet drew an angry response from Margera, who as a young man made home video stunts with Dunn and later starred with him in three "Jackass" movies. "I just lost my best friend, I have been crying hysterical for a full day and (expletive) roger ebert has the gall to put in his 2 cents," Margera wrote.

From what I read, there were extensive skid marks, meaning excessive speed/breakage....drinking or not......there could have been someone heading the other way on this road, making this so much more worse. Who has the "gall" now? Ask his passenger. Be grateful this incident was limited to just one car.

Bam, he, along with yourself, is a self-appointed "jackass". How long can one "cheat death" and laugh?

[Jolie Rouge]

Ryan Dunn's Car Crash Passenger's Identity Revealed
Tue Jun 21, 10:52 am ET

"Jackass" star Ryan Dunn was not the only person to die in the tragic car crash in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania early Monday. He had a passenger, whose identity has now been revealed.

The passenger was Zachary Hartwell, one of the men posing in the photos Dunn posted to Twitter of himself drinking with friends just hours before the crash. A 30-year old from West Chester, PA, he was a stunt car driver in Bam Margera's 2009 film, "Minghags."

The pair died in a fiery crash at around 2:38 Monday morning. Dunn may have been speeding at the time, and though he had been drinking alcohol, the initial police report did not indicate that intoxication was suspected as part of the reason for the crash.

In the photo below, he is pictured to the viewer's right, opposite Dunn.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/201...5kdW5uc2Nhcg--

The initial police report did not indicate that intoxication was suspected??? This was not a movie stunt. He had 6 drinks, hello?

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Are there still people who are supporting his actions? Yes, it's sad that he died, but he do so in a way that took another life with him. It was avoidable and irresponsible, and now two people are dead because of it.

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He had a prior DUI. To bad his family & friends did not take his car keys away. Maybe his passenger would still be alive. The passenger is not blameless...he did get in the car.This should be a lesson to everyone to not let someone who has been drinking be your designated driver (even if they have drank less than you). Call a cab!

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One less Jackass who drinks and drives. I am glad there wasn't a family in a minivan driving the same road at the time.

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Sad, and it speaks volumes, to everyone at every age, "DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!

Hearts and Love to the family and also hugs to families who lost their loved one's to alcohol, drugs or both. Agree, with many other posts, that they did not kill an innocent family.

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"the initial police report did not indicate that intoxication was suspected as part of the reason for the crash."

Probably because alcohol is flammable and everybody was burned to a crisp in the crash. I also liked the "speed MAY have been a factor" oh yeah. Did you see what little was left of that car? Trust me that doesn't occur going 40 MPH.

[Jolie Rouge]

"Jackass" co-star was drunk when he died in car crash
Dave Warner – Wed Jun 22, 4:31 pm ET

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Ryan Dunn, a co-star of the hit "Jackass" movies, had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when his speeding Porsche careened off a highway, killing him and a passenger, police said Wednesday.

The sports car was traveling at speeds of up to 140 miles per hour when the crash occurred early Monday in West Goshen, a suburb of Philadelphia, police said.

Dunn's blood-alcohol reading was 0.196, according to a toxicology report released by authorities. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08.

It wasn't the first time the daredevil personality, 34, got behind the wheel after drinking, authorities said, noting he was cited for driving under the influence in 2005.

Dr. Kendel Kidwell, a physician who is head of the emergency medicine department at suburban Abington Hospital said people who are not heavy drinkers would be impaired with a 0.196 blood alcohol level. They would suffer from an altered perception of their surroundings, slowed reflexes, slurred speech and an inability to concentrate, he said.

Heavy drinkers, however, would be able to "walk around normally," and in fact could suffer withdrawal symptoms if the level fell, he said.

The police report also said no "drugs of abuse" were found in Dunn's system.

The Chester County Coroner's office earlier ruled that Dunn and his passenger, Zachary Hartwell, 30, both of West Chester, died of trauma.

Police said the car drove off the highway, and they found it in a nearby wooded area fully engulfed in flames.

Several private funeral services were scheduled for Dunn, including one that was held on Wednesday, and they will be followed by a public memorial service at a date yet to be determined, said a spokesman for the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith and Boyd funeral home in West Chester.

A funeral for Hartwell, a Navy veteran who served as a gunner's mate in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, was scheduled for Saturday in West Chester, according to a notice published in a local newspaper.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110622/en_nm/us_dunn

comments

As much as I will miss him on the Jackass movies (he was my favorite), it is hard to feel sorry for two men who became intoxicated and got behind a wheel. I feel for all of their loved ones and friends who are devastated by their loss. What a heartless thing to do to them. At least no innocent victims were involved and I hope that many young people who idolize these guys will pay heed that it can happen to anyone. Don't Drink and Drive!

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Shame he took someone with him. Blessing that no other vehicles were involved.

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he made the ultimate mistake,he and his friend paid the ultimate price,let him R.I.P.so glad to learn there were no illegal drugs involved,who knows where that story would have ended?

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Drinking and driving does not discriminate who is killed.

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Darwin was right!

[dv8grl]

Yes Driking & Driving is wrong and I wish he hadn't decided to get behind the wheel., especially in a car that goes 130mph.
But damn you Ryan....I loved you.
R.I.P. Brother!