Ryan Dunn .. former "Jackass" star killed in a car crash Monday in West Goshen.
WEST GOSHEN — Police Chief Michael Carroll said Wednesday that "Jackass" star Ryan Dunn's blood-alcohol content was more than twice the state's legal limit at the time Dunn crashed his Porsche along the Route 322 bypass Monday morning, killing himself and his passenger.
Carroll said Dunn's blood-alcohol content was .196 at the time of the accident. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is .08. Carroll said alcohol was the only substance in Dunn's system.
"No other substances were found in his blood other than the alcohol," Carroll said.
Dunn, 34, of West Chester, was traveling roughly 130 mph before his Porsche crashed, police said Tuesday.
Carroll said an accident reconstruction team calculated the high rate of speed the vehicle was traveling before it crashed into a guardrail, landed in the woods and burst into flames about 2:40 a.m. Monday near Pottstown Pike/Route 100.
“I’ve never seen a car destroyed in an automobile accident the way this car was even before it caught fire,” Carroll said. “The automobile actually came apart. It was unbelievable and I’ve been on a lot of fatal accident scenes. This is by far the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Also killed in the crash was 30-year-old Zachary Daniel Hartwell, of West Chester.
An investigation revealed Dunn was at a bar-restaurant not long before the crash, Carroll said.
“We know that within an hour prior to the accident, (Dunn) was at Barnaby’s in West Chester,” he said.
A Barnaby’s of America employee who answered the phone Monday said the business will not be commenting on the incident.Continued...
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About two hours before the crash, a photo of Dunn and two other men apparently drinking was posted to Dunn’s Twitter account. The image has since been removed from Twitter. Carroll said he is aware of the photo.
In 2005, West Whiteland police arrested Dunn for driving under the influence after he crashed his BMW in the 1300 block of Burke Road. Dunn later completed a program that allows first-time offenders to have their criminal record erased if they complete a probationary period and other court-supervised requirements.
The Chester County Coroner’s Office said Tuesday the cause of death for both men is blunt force trauma and thermal trauma.
Hartwell, a U.S. Navy veteran, served as a gunner’s mate during Operation Enduring Freedom as part of America’s war on terrorism.
Hartwell married his wife, Rachel Peazzoni Hartwell, just eight months before his death. He is also survived by his parents, George H. Hartwell and Erma Christman Hartwell; and seven brothers and sisters.
“He was known by all as having a vivid sense of humor with an ability to bring light to any situation,” the family said in Hartwell’s obituary.
Hartwell played a role in the 2009 film “Minghags,” which was co-directed by Brandon “Bam” Margera. Dunn also played a role in the film. The movie depicts a group of characters who seek revenge against a wealthy man who steals their idea for an invention.
Hartwell’s funeral has been scheduled for Saturday. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church St., West Chester. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be private.
DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home is also handling arrangements for Dunn. The funeral home said Tuesday Dunn’s funeral and interment will be held privately and a memorial service will be held at a later date.
Dunn was born June 11, 1977, in Ohio. After moving to Chester County at age 15, Dunn met Margera at West Chester East High School. Over the years, Dunn, Margera and other friends began filming outrageous stunts, skateboarding and random skits to partly cure “suburban teenage boredom” and partly for plain amusement.Continued...
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Dunn was employed as a welder and at gas stations when he connected with Margera’s friend, Johnny Knoxville. Dunn co-starred with Knoxville and Margera in MTV’s “Jackass” TV series, which first aired in 1999, and three “Jackass” movies, all of which included shocking and sometimes dangerous stunts.
The news of Dunn’s death sparked tension between movie critic Roger Ebert and Margera — along with many of Dunn’s fans — after Ebert commented Monday on Dunn’s death via Twitter, a social media site.
The post stated, “Friends don’t let jackasses drink and drive.”
Margera responded with multiple Twitter posts that included profanities.
“I just lost my best friend, I have been crying hysterical for a full day and piece of (expletive) Roger Ebert has the gall to put in his 2 cents,” Margera wrote.
A backlash from “Jackass” fans prompted Ebert to write a column Tuesday to further clarify his Twitter comment, mentioning his reported patronage at a bar just prior to the crash and his reputation among some, including Margera’s mother, April, for being reckless at times while driving.
“What did I mean by that? I meant exactly what I wrote. I wasn’t calling Ryan Dunn a jackass. In Twitter shorthand, I was referring to his association with ‘Jackass’ … Friends don’t let friends drink and drive,” Ebert wrote.
Dunn, a celebrity prankster and actor, was co-host of a new TV show “Proving Ground,” which premiered on the G4 network June 14. The show’s second episode was slated to air Tuesday at 8 p.m.; however, network spokesman Dave Welch said Monday the show has been “pulled for now and discussions are under way regarding next steps.”
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