Yesterday we heard that Ryan Dunn of Jackass passed away after he suffered a fatal accident in the Porsche 911 he was driving, killing himself and a 30 year-old Jackass production assistant Zachary Hartwell. He had tweeted a photo of himself drinking that night before the accident and he looked blitzed out of his mind. A source from the bar told TMZ that Ryan had had three beers and three shots in the four hours he was there before leaving at 2:10 am, closing time. That doesn’t sound excessive for a man of his size but we have no way of verifying that. As of yet the cause of the accident is unknown, although police say “speed” was a factor, and given the state of the wreckage we may never know. It’s entirely possible that he swerved to avoid something or that his tire blew out, but circumstantial evidence suggests he was drunk.
Movie critic Roger Ebert recently tweeted something that a lot of people have been saying about this guy’s death, that “friends don’t let Jackasses drive drunk.” It’s harsh, but many people have that sentiment about this accident. (TMZ live recently covered a lot of those comments. One person wrote that she was surprised that this is the first time one of the Jackass guys has died. They do incredibly dangerous stunts for a living, after all.) In response, Dunn’s friend Bam Margera went off on Ebert, which is understandable.
Is there ever a time to say to someone who is hurt, or to say about someone who died, that they should not have been drinking and driving? Yes, definitely. I don’t want to get too personal, but a friend of recently mine got in an accident while he was drinking and I called him on it. He was injured so I waited a little to bring it up. I was so angry that he made that stupid decision and I had to say something to him about it. I did it because I love him, but some may think I was being insensitive and he bitched that I was the only one who told him I was angry that he was drinking when it happened. Still, I get why Dunn’s friends are upset at Ebert’s comments. There’s a way to be tactful in situations like this where someone has died. Ebert was dismissive and seemed to suggest that someone could have prevented that guy’s death. Surely that’s what his friends are beating themselves up over right now.
Update: Ebert has issued a response to this controversy on his blog, explaining his position. It’s very well written and backed up by examples in the press that support what he was trying to say, simply that the kid should not have driven drunk. Ebert’s Facebook page has been removed by Facebook for a terms of service violation after it was flagged. That’s ridiculous and seems completely arbitrary and unfair.
Photo credit: WENN and Fame
sorry, but i only feel bad for the assistant. this dumbass decided to drive drunk and it ended his life. the end.
ETA: if bam is so distraught over his friend’s death, wtf is he doing on twitter?
I can see both sides of the situation. I have known a couple people die in drunk driving accidents. It’s horrible and the repercussions are long felt. I get pissed when people don’t think about how they can hurt themselves or others by making the choice to drink and drive.
But as a friend or relative, I would be upset at someone, who is removed from the situation, making comments like that; especially on such a public forum.
I get that people are upset because it is so soon after it happened. However, it is what it is.
If he had survived and the passenger had still died, or if it had been a bystander, we’d be calling him a f**king idiot today, but because he was unfortunate enough to perish as well, it’s bad taste?
My thoughts go out to his family and friends who are obviously devastated but this could have been prevented, by friends or by having enough sense not to get in the car.
Ebert’s comment about not letting “Jackasses drive drunk” was harsh. But is this a teachable moment? Yes. Yes it is. Any half-ass decent parent of a teenager will take this opportunity to point out the following lessons:
1) Never drive if you’ve been drinking;
2) Never get into a car driven by someone who’s been drinking;
3) Alcohol slows your reaction time almost as much as texting while driving;
4) Don’t speed – ESPECIALLY if you’ve ignored the first 3 things on this list.
I am sorry for the friends and family involved. I’ve lost friends to drunk drivers. But if parents can cite this as an example to kids who’ve watched that (atrocious) show, maybe now it will get through to them.
The true lesson of drunk driving is most profound when it hits home.
I get that they lost their friend, but another 30 year old young man died too. And he had friends and family I’m sure that are crying and heart broken at his lose.
When you drink and drive and cause your own death that is one thing, but when you take another person with you that is another thing all together. And this maybe insensitive, but you lose the right to not be called out on your behavior.
We see this time and time again. And many times it is the drunk drive that walks away after these accidents, but he/she leaves the wreckage of other peoples lives behind as they go on with their life.
I am sad for his family.. But also so so sad for the family/friends of Zachary Hartwell who was not as well KNOWN.. but I’m sure just as loved.
Oh no – I couldn’t disagree with you more. This is the first story I’ve clicked on about this and even seeing the headlines about this actor being killed, I thought “I wonder if he’d been drinking; at least no one else was hurt or killed.”. And now I see he had been drinking – that’s a LOT of alcohol! – and someone else was killed. Someone not important enough for the headlines to mention. How can any words be harsh enough?! And this Bam person saying he was crying all day?! How about the family of the passenger, who may or may also have been drunk? How about being thankful that one or more other people weren’t killed?
Driving drunk is a despicable act. This IS a choice, and a hateful one. This is so simple. He knew he was going to that bar to get drunk. He had ample money to hire a driver or take a cab. He knew, as like the rest of us he’s seen the articles every day, that drunk drivers kill themselves, their passengers, and pedestrians and other drivers. Yet he chose to drive himself. He mad the choice *before* he got to the bar, *before* he got drunk, knowing that people might die as a result of his choice. How is that not murder? Why should anyone feel anything other than anger on behalf of the young man whose life he cut short, sorrow for both families, and relief that he didn’t also kill one or many more others?
My good friend was killed at age 15 by someone just like this person.
That tweet about flying through 40 yards of trees was completely uncalled for.
Really, if Ebert is using the 12 year-old screaming meemies on Perez’s site as a compass he needs his head examined.
If people are going to crucify the guy for impaired driving, let’s wait until the toxicology is in. Regardless, from the skid marks he was obviously speeding and reckless actions, whether under the influence or not, have consequences.
Unfortunately Dunn paid with his life and took someone else along with him.
Maybe if he had taken out 5 people in his drunk driving, Bam would have been able to understand the DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE concept a little more. Never too early to say it. Maybe if someone had pounded it into his friend’s head the “unknown person” and him would be alive today. He killed someone for crying out loud.
It’s tough to lose a friend, believe me I know, but Ryan is a murderer. Thank God more people weren’t hurt. Luckily only one person died. It may have stung but if you live your life celebrating being a ‘jackass’ don’t be surprised if you get defined that way at the worst possible moment.
even if he wasn’t drunk, he was going over 100 MPH. he was endangering other potential drivers and the world is a little safer with him in the ground. i’m sure his “brothers” all either drive like that or are very aware that he did. he got his friggin’ rims replaced at a race car shop. they should be angrier at themselves for enabling (and i would guess, encouraging) this crap than they are at an old movie reviewer for commenting on it.
Wasn’t Zachary a production assistant on that show? Where are Bam’s sads for him and his family? A little indignant outrage (at the very least) is called for.
These Jackass guys do reckless things for a living, and they have millions of fans, probably even trying what they see on screen at home. They’re not setting any examples with that. Maybe now they can. Don’t drink and drive.
His death WAS avoidable. His friends could’ve stopped it. I’m with Ebert on this one. Yes, I’m sorry he’s dead. I’m sorry his friends and family are grieving but it didn’t have to happen. He drank, he drove, he sped, he died and he took anothers life in the process.
Sorry that this person died. It is hard on family and friends.
However, if he had survived, he would mostly likely have been arrested for vehicular manslaughter as someone else also lost their life. Maybe Ebert should have shown a bit more tact, but, he is right.
I agree with Roger. I mean, he decided to drive drunk. And if people cared about him, they should have taken away keys, and called a cab for him. I get that Bam lost one of his best friends, and he’s going to be sad, but your friend…..did a stupid thing.
Drunk driving is stupid, its reckless, its dangerous, etc etc. That being said, he couldn’t have waited like 24 hours to make a comment like that? He speaks the truth, but every once in a while it’s perfectly okay to hold off a little bit with insensitive comments.
Dunn….appropriate last name.
Here is my take on this whole thing: Yesterday morning I get a phone call at 5:45 am from my mother informing me that Great Grandpa Zieammerman had died. This was a German man who fought in WWII, was awarded 2 purple hearts, along with numerous other medals. He was a real American hero, a father, grandfather, great grandfather, and one of the most spectacular human beings that ever walked the face of this earth. Kind, caring, hilarious, and strong. He’s been going for years now, but held on and held on, always keeping that wit to the bitter end.
Now, we have Ryan Dunn. A man “famous” for sticking toy cars up his rear end. He drove drunk, lost his life, took someone else’s life with him. Is it sad? Absolutely. He was young, he was someone’s son, and friend to many. I don’t want to imagine what his mother and friends are going through right now. But, he made a mistake. He knew the consequences, and he took the chance anyways. He drove drunk, and he’s gone.
His death doesn’t register on my radar whatsoever in comparison.
#TeamRoger
“If people are going to crucify the guy for impaired driving, let’s wait until the toxicology is in”.
@Bill Hicks Is God, I think you’re the only person to have said this and I could not agree more. All we have so far are conflicting reports from TMZ and Radar quoting unnamed “sources”. The authorities are still establishing the cause of the accident and no official statement has been released. Let’s at least wait until we know the facts before ripping into the guy.
I’m totally with Ebert on this one; Ryan Dunn drank, drove, and 2 people died as a result. There’s no way to justify or defend his behavior and he paid for it with his life – teachable moment, indeed. Who cares what Bam says, he’s just a vomit.
I mourn the Porsche that gave it’s life in this unfortunate incident.
Facebook has deleted Roger Ebert’s FB page because of this. These are Ebert’s latest tweets:
Roger Ebert
Facebook! My page is harmless and an asset to you. Why did you remove it in response to anonymous jerks? Makes you look bad.
17 minutes ago
Facebook has removed my page in response, apparently, to malicious complaints from one or two jerks. http://t.co/RdzUxll
21 minutes ago
Agree 100-percent with all of you on the “action”, the “consequences” and the unnecessary tragedy here. However, despite how little attention is being paid to the tragic loss of Zachary and all the rest of this, to refer to anyone who has JUST DIED as a “jackass” whether a play on words or not.. is callous, insensitive and cruel.
He was photographed drinking and the images were posted online before the crash. Even if he was not “Bristol blacked out,” he had been drinking and two (not one) two people died. It’s not just about pointing fingers, it’s about calling out a serious problem that KILLS people all the time. Driving recklessly, drunk or not, with passengers is wrong.
Did we forget how pissed the world was at the pilot who “assisted” in the deaths of Aaliyah and her crew? He might not have been blacked out drunk, but he was reckless with the weight and number of passengers (and his false license).
Play with your life. Don’t treat others like they are willing to die for you.
I agree with Ebert.
He tweeted a picture of himself with friends drinking that night so yeah he was drinking and even one of his friends confirms this, but said he didn’t think he was drunk so they let him drive.
Sorry don’t feel sorry for him because this was his doing, and pretty sure it was not the first time he did it too.
There was a case in Long Island or Staten Island where a little girl lost her life because of a drunk driver, her and her parents were coming home from a wedding when a drunk driver plowed into them, decapitating the little girl.
So no I don’t feel any pity for those who are called out for driving while drunk or under the influence.
I so sick of this P.C. crap that is taken over this world, we must not talk about this or call out that person for his freaking bad behavior.
Sucks that he died but he could have killed more than himself and his friend with his actions.
And I’m sure his family will be suing the bar for his death.
My 15 yo son is a big Jackass fan & was very upset about Dunn’s death yesterday. So it WAS a teachable moment in the car on the way home when we talked about how dangerous behavior can be addictive & how obvious it was that this guy could not or was unwilling to stop risking his life. My son knows plenty of kids who emulate & admire the guys who do these stunts. Does he? God, I hope not.
WTF with the tweeting, Ebert? Teachable moments are most effective when they are not sarcastic or condemming.
If he was drunk & driving of course it was stupid but at the moment it is just speculation and not fact.
Does it take away from the fact that 2 young people died and that is horrific? No.
If he was out drinking with mates and we assume that Zachary Hartwell was out with him then he got in the car knowing that Ryan Dunn had been out at the bar, nobody forced him to get in.
The guy was drunk, as per the photos and eye witness accounts. Two people are dead. Thank God there were not more. I do not see what the big deal is with what Ebert said.
Drinking and driving is 100% preventable. Ryan Dunn made a choice, and he wasn’t a teenager, he was a grown man, in his 30’s, so the fact that Jackass was used in the comment by Roger Ebert is apropos.
Yes, people are hurting, but they are hurting because someone made a poor choice. End of story.
Tragic when anyone dies in that situation but he did it to himself. If you drink, take a cab or have a sober driver. Common sense.
OK, I’m the first person to literally punch a friend if I have to in order to get their keys from them and keep them from drunk driving, but if he had 3 beers and 3 shots over 4 hours, he wasn’t drunk. And its more likely speeding was the cause.
Check out this BAC chart, it only goes up to 5 drinks in 4 hours, but based on his size even 6 drinks and he would have been fine
http://www.seattle-duiattorney.com/dui/drink-calculator.php
That guy had a choice whether or not to get in the car with him so it’s his fault that he died not Ryans.
It seems like the Roger man is passing the blame on someone else who may have been with him at the time. Bam maybe thinking it’s aimed at him, but he wasn’t there so…. Probably just emotions kicking in.
It is a reckless thing to do but when your that drunk you don’t care, you have no awareness to think to yourself ‘whoa this is dangerous’
Really though this is personally very sad news to me, I love jackass and have been watching it since I was about 6, you really do think they are invincible and something so mundane as a car crash is so shocking.
Atleast he will be forever young and he shall be remembered in the best way from me, what he done made many people happy.
@lisa, you said it very well, and I agree completely.
@Samigirl, I’m so sorry for your loss. Your grandfather sounds like an amazing, wonderful man who touched many lives. The world is a better place having had him live in it, which is the best legacy one can have.
@anncarter, I think Roger was referring to the man’s friends as jackasses (which yes, is a play on words), not Ryan Dunn himself.
Truth hurts, Bam. End of story.
Rachface24- And are people certain he didn’t have more in his system prior to going to the last bar he was at?
did Ryan put a gun to zachary’s head and force him to get in the car? no? huh. if Ryan was drunk then Zachary obviously would have known before he got in the car and if he chose to get in anyway then well, look where that got him. And it’s NOT certain that Ryan was even drunk, he’s a big guy, an experienced drinker, he could hold his liquour AND he crashed at 3am, when his last drink was at 2:10, that’s plenty of time for some of the supposed drunkenness, which probably wasn’t even severe, to wear off. For Ebert to completely jump the gun and crack a joke about a dead man, making assumptions about his state at the time of the crash, is unacceptable. Good for Bam for saying something about it and as for the idiots who said “what’s he doing on twitter if he’s so broken up” uh, 1) all the other Jackass guys mentioned Ryan on twitter yesterday too, wanna criticize them as well? 2) that was his first tweet since Ryans crash and it was well past midnight when he wrote it 3) it was ABOUT RYAN, not something completely unrelated, so why shouldnt he be able to write it without criticism?
Closing point, there’s nothing teachable about this situation until the toxicology reports come in. Til then, don’t talk about something you know nothing about, and rest in peace Ryan and Zachary.
@Hayley – are you high? “And it’s NOT certain that Ryan was even drunk, he’s a big guy, an experienced drinker, he could hold his liquour AND he crashed at 3am, when his last drink was at 2:10, that’s plenty of time for some of the supposed drunkenness, which probably wasn’t even severe, to wear off.” Um, seriously, ARE YOU CRAZY? Alcohol doesn’t even truly effect you until at least an hour after you drink. Do a little research for God’s sake. I’m sorry that dude died, and his friend that folks seem to be forgetting, but don’t be a dumbass about the reason it happened.
@Samigirl, I am so sorry for your loss. Your grieve makes a valid point though. I’m glad you shared it with us.
So because he may not have been drunk means that he should have been behind the wheel. He had been drinking, just because he may not have consumed enough to be considered drunk doesn’t mean that he wasn’t impaired. Also he was speeding. I would never get in the car with someone who had been drinking 1 or 10 drinks. People need to take responsibility for their actions, the passenger included. Unfortunately neither of them are here due to stupid actions. It’s sad.
@Hayley Drunk is drunk. I hope you’re not using these same standards to decide if YOU should get behind the wheel. Be safe & take a cab. It may save lives.
“Teachable moments are most effective when they are not sarcastic or condemning.” Well said melangie.
I really hate how this is being spun into a sensationalist drama, with everyone saying he looked ‘tanked’ in the photo and was drunk behind the wheel. Way to jump the gun. I’d rather wait for an official police report before I write this sad off as self-inflicted. Think of their families.
If they were drunk, then they paid for that mistake with their lives, and that’s a pretty high price to pay for doing something stupid and reckless.
As PPs have said, the truth hurts. I am also surprised that this is the first time one of the jackasses has died as a result of their own bad decisions.
Truth be told, I thought Steve-O or Party boy would be more likely to join the darwin award winners in the sky.
I love irreverent humor and Ryan seemed like a nice enough guy, but Ebert is missing half his face and can no longer eat or speak because he’s been ravaged by cancer.
Ryan is known for shoving toys cars up his ass and taking stupid risks with his life, knowing that he’ll be emulated by kids. Doesn’t seem like he had a ton of respect for the life he’d been given.
Ryan was clearly impaired (even driving while tired is being impaired and you can be arrested for it) driving at 3am after a night of drinking (no matter if he was legally drunk) and apparently driving over 100mph is just stupid behavior, period. He could have killed a lot of people. I see the anger an act like this inspires.
Personally I’d rather have people angrily call him out for his Jackass behavior (it wasn’t only HIS life he took or risked) than further mythologize his stupidity, making him into some kind of tragic martyr for kids to look up to.
I think of soldiers and the risks they take and then I think of this guy and I just can’t muster up much sympathy for him. Jackass indeed.
Could Ebert have been a bit more tactful? Sure.
However, the reality is that Bam and the rest of Ryan’s loved ones are probably never going to think there’s a “respectful” moment or way to point out that Ryan Dunn died as a direct result of his irresponsible actions.
Ryan Dunn killed himself as well as his passenger, and it was just lucky that he didn’t hurt anyone else.
The only good that can come out of this tragedy is to use it as a reminder to people of the grim consequences of drinking and driving.
Glad I am more than likely not from Hayley’s neck of the woods and in the path of her car on a Friday or Saturday night.
I agree let’s wait for the toxicology and speed reports. Though, not sure why anyone would want a Porsche 911. They are designed for speed not safety and since it isn’t legal to drive at top speeds what’s the point in driving one?
I don’t agree with you guys on this one. Is Ebert correct? You bet he is. But tweeting PUBLICLY something like that so soon after it happened is rubbing salt in some grieving wounds. Yes, it’s a lesson to the rest of us, but let the people who knew and loved him grieve before you start with the teachable moments. For now, let them mourn the guy. It’s called decency, people. The other guy’s family? THEY are the people who could say things like this right now. NOT Roger Ebert.
And I’m a recovering alcoholic, who got a DUI and used it to get sober. People drinking any amount of alcohol should not drive. Period. But, give his friends/family some time before the PUBLIC statements. I’ll be right with you then.
@ Rachface
The criminal charge is driving while “impaired”, so I think the question is was his ability to drive (to avoid danger, gauge risk properly) impaired by alcohol? I think it was even if he wasn’t falling down drunk. A $10 taxi ride could have saved two lives.
@ Kazoo-I think you summed it up perfectly from the get go.There was no need to ad more comments after that!
@ Hayley
I represent drunk drivers like Dunn all the time. The tox reports will tell us what we already know and what Dunn himself told us with the drinking picture he tweeted out just before he died.
As for your point that an hour had passed since the last drink and he would be sober, I have seen clients who drank the night before, got up the next morning and were still legally over the limit when they got in the car at 9 am. Your comments are all based on bad science. People are sitting in jail or going without their licenses for 12 months because they believed what you believe.
Same point in the end – just call a cab.
Being from the town in which it happened, I hope that they reevaluate their stance on taxis. You cannot get one. After 7:00 taxis are not allowed into the borough. You can try to call one, and sometimes they will show up, albeit hours later. And this is a college town. Lots of bars. Lots of drinkers. Lots of money to be made off of DUIs. It’s irresponsible and has been a sounding off point for years.
I like Ebert but wish he’d kept his mouth shut at least until after the toxicology report. He’s now trying to explain, if not apologize, for his words-
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/06/_bam_margera_i_just_lost.html#trackbacks
Dont know who he even was but if he had young fans I think its never too early to send the message that DRUNK DRIVING KILLS…although Roger could of said it without sounding like such a D*CK.
I have seen two children raised without their mother, father, and older siblings due to a drunk driver, so I don’t have any sympathy for this guy, however I do feel sorry for his family and the family of the guy he killed. Ebert has struggled through cancer and to be as close the death as he as when he is fighting to stay alive while others are so casual about their own life (including the crap they did on jackass) would make me want to say something too.
@ Vanessa, I totally agree with you. If he hadn’t died, the press would be ripping him a new one right now. I don’t see how suddenly he is off limits just because he died. Anyone who drives drunk is an idiot at best and a murderer at worst.
I bet most of the people going on about how he shouldn’t have been driving drunk are the same A-holes who have their phones glued to their ears while they drive. I’m not saying either one is worse than the other, but saying someone deserves to die is wrong on any occasion. He made a bad choice and he paid the ultimate price…. is that not enough?
Bam, this person killed another. I have a friend (John Hogue) who was killed in a drunk driving accident in 2007. The driver of the car who was drunk lived. John was drunk as well and should have known not to get in the car with this person, but he did. He was killed and it is something my husband and I will always remember. We still mourn for him. The punk that killed him is living his life while John is gone. For Bam to get angry at Roger for wanting people to be more careful he can shut the hell up. Don’t act like a Jackass and stupid things won’t happen to you….
“Let’s at least wait until we know the facts before ripping into the guy”
The facts are, this guy killed himself and an innocent passenger. It was 3 AM and he had been drinking. The car was destroyed, THOSE are the facts. I’m not waiting for any more “facts” because we already know what we need to know. Official confirmation of his stupidity and irresponsibility is unnecessary.
bosc
the facts that are already out there are very clear. i will be amazed if it was anything other than drunk driving.
beaner
i have lived in a city where it was hard to call taxis – you waited forever. but Dunn could have paid for a limo easily. or walked or drank at home. it was all so avoidable.
i am with most of the commentors and on roger’s side on this one; or rather i am on the side of DONT DRINK AND DRIVE! sheesh! talk about missing the point here, dunn died – yes, tragic, but even more tragic, someone else died in his car; and all of this could have been so much more worse for any other drivers on the road! luckily others were spared “crying” about their loved ones dying…
@Samigirl (18) My condolences. That was a lovely tribute to your grandad.
I have no issue w/ Ebert’s comment. I do take exception to Dunn’s friends lamenting his death with nary a moment’s consideration for the friend who Dunn killed w/ his reckless driving (even if he was sober, which I seriously doubt was the case.)
Drinking and driving is incredibly selfish and I feel sorry for his family, but it is a teachable moment. I live not far from there and have family in law enforcement. I am sick of the drunk assholes driving around this state and killing people. It is a damned miracle that he didn’t kill any innocent victims. Most of the time they take out someone’s spouse, child or parent, if not entire families with their selfishness and stupidity. Like I said, I feel bad for his family, but F*CK anyone who drinks and drives. Walk your sorry ass home, if you can’t get a cab. NO excuses! NONE.
I have to say that while he chose to drive drunk, his passenger chose to get in the car with a drunk driver. Both decisions are shameful and the responsibility lies with both of them. Sad.
Well, better to say it now and hope someone else doesn’t make the same stupid mistake as he did. The unfortunate thing here is that 1) he paid with his life. 2) Someone else had to pay for this guy’s stupidity.
But at the same time, I guess it is also possible that the assistant knew how wasted he was and got in the car anyway.
BAM our hearts are with you for losing a friend but use this for the hundreds of young fans Jackass has out there as a lesson against drinking & driving. Look how much pain this avoidable death has caused you and his family. My thoughts & prayers to his family.
It came off like a joke to me which is offensive IMO. If he’d only made reference to the drunk driving and left out the jackass reference it would have gone over better. There is a time, place, and way to handle everything and respect after death should also be extended to family and friends. Ebert should have waited or said it differently.
For all you who are calling dunn a murderer your retarded it was just as much choice for his passenger to get into the car and ride with him knowing he was drinking. Dunn did not put a gun to the guys head and say get in and drive with me. Fact is They BOTH made mistakes Dunn and His passenger. The passenger could have said nah man lets find another ride we been drinking but he didnt he chose to ride with dunn just as dunn drove so dont call dunn a murderer because the guy chose to take that ride with him. Its a shame that these men have died but its a bigger shame that we see it fit to sit here and place blame on people truth is people make there own choices this was obviously a bad choice that ended up costing the lives of 2 people isnt that enough trama/drama. RIP Ryan Dunn You will be missed greatly.. And to the other man who died I say Rip also you will also be missed.
Not getting what the big deal is with the Ebert comment/joke. I’ve seen much worse comments on here.
i don’t know who this guy was (never saw “jackass”) but the fact that he was drinking/driving/speeding is reprehensible. he may have been a really nice guy, but in the end he killed himself and others through his thoughtlessness. i’m sure it wasn’t the first time he drove recklessly. as someone who has lost 2 close friends to drunk drivers, drunk driving and/or speeding gets little sympathy from me.
as for bam, if he has been “hysterical” why is he on twitter? when my friends died (after being hit by drunk drivers) the last thing i could think about was emailing, tweeting, etc. give me a break – someone needs some attention, i think.
There is a time and a place for opinions.
A person is barely cold and roger thinks this is the time and place to act on his
opinion.And be judgmental and self righteous. Condolences for those that died and the family they left behind is all that s needed at this moment. They have lost their lives and friend and family have list someone they care about. A movie critic need not voice his opinion. Now or ever.Such a world we live in. If you drink and die to bad. If you smoke and die great. If fat and sick you deserve it.
When did people and their judgmental behavior become a welcome way of being. Empathy is only reserved for people who live by certain rules. No thank you.
People make mistakes and they are human. Does not give us the right to condemn them before they are even buried.
after losing 2 friends to drunk driving, both of which were not the ones drinking — i agree with ebert.
@kazoo: 100%
Jesus people make mistakes and do stupid things all the time. These guys paid with their lives for their massive mistake. To make comments like that so soon is completely insensitive and horrible for their family and friends. And I’d hardly call Ryan a murderer – if they were drinking then both knew what they were doing when they got in the car. so sad
@ Samigirl ~ I’m sorry for your loss. Y’all are in my prayers. Your grandfather sounds like an amazing man; they don’t make them like that anymore.
Team Ebert. So I guess the bar where he was drinking doesn’t have the laws that say they can be held liable if someone gets into an accident on the way home? It’ll be interesting to see what the toxicology report says because some people would be plastered with that amount of alcohol, while others wouldn’t.
Team Ebert all the way. I’m sorry for the families involved but we don’t extra drunk drivers around. He made a horrible decision and he paid for it. He’s lucky he and his passenger were the only ones killed.
“Jesus people make mistakes and do stupid things all the time”
@ ELA: yes, but when those mistakes get behind the wheel and endanger other people’s lives then it becomes everyone’s problem. it was damned lucky that they didn’t run into another car and kill even more people.
I have to agree that we need to wait until all the facts come out and the toxicology report is in. The man was photographed at a bar with a beer, so what? With all the conflicting reports on what or how much he drank, who knows if that was his only beer of the night. Besides that, what drunk person drives over 100 mph while intoxicated? I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but most drunk drivers I’ve come across try to compensate being drunk by trying to drive the speed limit and in between the lines so as not to draw too much attention to themselves for actually being drunk.
If he was going over 100 mph and he hit the guard rail but didn’t do much more than dent the guard rail, it’s entirely possible his car was airborne when it was going through the trees before eventually hitting the one that blew his car up.
While I can see it being a teachable moment to teens and wrecklace driving, lets not call it a DUI until it’s proven so.
This is a guy who’s filmed himself downing an entire bottle of tequila in less than 60 seconds. I don’t condone his actions or decision to drive, but suggesting that the amount of alcohol he reportedly drank on the night of the crash would’ve made him falling-down, sloppy drunk seems a bit much. After so much hardcore drinking, it’s likely that it would take much more than 3 beers/3 shots to even make him feel buzzed. Again, not defending his actions, but perhaps he got lured into thinking, “I’ve barely had anything” and therefore that he was ok to drive.
I agree with others here — let’s wait until the toxicology report comes back before we condemn him for driving drunk.
Imho, I thought Ebert’s comment was uncalled for, no matter how right he is.
Whether it’s Ryan fault or whether he was drunk etc – it’s STILL a tragedy nonetheless. Let him (and the passenger) rest in peace.
Bam: It’s not about you.
It’s a shame that two people died because of a horribly stupid choice. Yet, we all know the effects of driving after drinking, so I’m not sorry. Label me an uncaring bitch if you want, but I’m so bloody sick and tired of hearing/reading about these kinds of accidents when they can be prevented. I’ve had friends killed because they drove drunk or got into a car when the driver was drunk (and I wasn’t there to stop them), so I’ve been there. People just don’t get it – they think that they’re invincible and they take stupid risks and endanger everyone on the road.
According to the cops he was going 130 mph so even if he wasn’t drunk, which from all accounts and seems he was, he was being reckless which cost him his life and took his friend’s as well.
All the people who say Ryan isn’t a murderer probably don’t realize the amount of people doing jail time for killing someone while driving drunk. In the eyes if the law it can be just as serious as shooting someone.
I don’t understand people who used the whole “we all make mistakes, we’re all human” excuse for things like this.
A mistake is accidentally buying 2% milk instead of skim, or introducing someone by the wrong name. What happened to this guy is not a mistake. It was a reckless and utterly irresponsible decision. His decision to drink before driving and then drive recklessly had consequences that he, and everyone here, knows of.
Yet, even knowing the possibilities of what may happen, he still decides to do this. He completely deserves to be called out on his behaviour.
I have two friends who drink drive occasionally, and I always call them out on it. Luckily they’ve never hurt themselves or anyone else, but I think I’d probably still go off at them if something bad did happen. Drunk driving is one of the stupidest things you can do. I’ve done a lot of stupid, fucked up shit when drunk, but I would never do that.
It’s a sad situation, but while maybe a bit insensitive, Ebert’s not wrong in what he’s trying to convey. Whatever happened, there was extreme recklessness that ended horribly, and could have been even worse if others had been killed as well.
If BM’s mourning the sudden loss of a semi-famous friend, perhaps searching mentions of his name on twitter is not the best idea? Guaranteed there’s going to be something hurtful out there.
ryan dunn is a murderer who happened to die at the scene of the crime. it really annoys me to see all these people shifting the blame because he was a ‘celebrity’. had this happened to anyone else (that isn’t famous)people would be saying the usual about drunk drivers. he is no exception. he killed himself and someone else. had he lived, he would have been tried for murder, plain and simple.
He was twice the legal limit, and was flying down the road at 140mph.
Nuff said.
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