Ryan Dunn Died How He Lived

When your claim to fame hinges on the fact that you once shoved a Matchbox car up your rectum to have a little fun with an x-ray technician, then you leave none of us surprised when we read of your head-on crash into an immovable tree.

Many of you are no doubt familiar with Ryan Dunn. He was a regular fixture on Johnny Knoxville’s creation, Jackass. Known for performing some of the most dangerous antics ever performed on a show filled with jackasses, no one familiar with Dunn, his friends, and his lifestyle could possibly have been surprised to learn yesterday that his Porsche sailed over a guardrail, pin-balled through a few trees, slamming head-on into one of those trees, and ultimately exploded into flames sometime around 2:30 yesterday morning.

Images of his mangled, damaged and charred Porsche were released by the associated press, and it is no small wonder that Dunn’s body was only identifiable by his tattoos. His companion in the car has yet to be identified.

At this point cops haven’t said much beyond excessive speed, but Dunn had been Barnaby’s of America in West Chester, Pennsylvania just prior to the crash. Witnesses would like us to know he only had “3 Miller Lites and 3 “girly shots” between 10:30 P.M. and 2:10 A.M. but was not too drunk to drive”.  Who among us will be surprised when we learn differently?

As shocking and sad as this news is for fans of the series or the genre, it is hardly surprising.

After all, Dunn got his start online with a group called, Camp Kill Yourself. The CKY crew would post videos of themselves doing Jackass-like stunts in West Chester, Pa. These included kicking footballs at cars, jumping off bridges, etc. In fact, the video that landed him a spot on Jackass was of him riding his bike straight into a car hood.

It really was just a matter of time till the line between internet stunt and reality blurred.

And while decorum and good taste prevent me from bagging on the newly deceased, I don’t feel enough people are commenting on the fact that he took someone out with him, and that they were on a public road.

Dunn brought a lot of laughter to a lot of people, and that is all well and good when you are off apart from the rest of us. Goodness knows I could care less what you stick up your butt, how many times you get shot in the face with a beanbag gun, or how many ways you can get tossed by a giant slingshot. But if you take this callous attitude towards life with you behind the wheel, you lose any chance at sympathy.

This guest post is by Edwin Daniels who blogs at USdish. You can also follow him on Twitter: @Edandish.