April and Phil Margera, parents of “Jackass” star Bam Margera say Ryan Dunn was like a son to them. They are devastated by his death.
"Jackass" star Ryan Dunn was killed early Monday morning when his Porsche flew over a guardrail in West Goshen, Pa., slammed into a tree and burst into flames, according to local police.
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Dunn's passenger, 30-year-old Zachary Hartwell of West Chester, Pa., was also killed. Hartwell worked as a production assistant on the movie "Jackass Number Two" and starred in Bam Margera's movie "Minghags."
Chester County Coroner's Office announced Tuesday that the cause of death for both Dunn and Hartwell was "Blunt and Thermal Trauma due to a motor vehicle accident. The nature of the deaths was listed as Accidental."
Dunn, 34, was identified by his tattoos, according to a witness who was on the scene when the bodies were pulled from the wreckage.
The one-car accident happened on Route 322 around 2:30 a.m., according to Officer Geiger with West Goshen police. The 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 shot through about 40 yards of trees before it hit the last one and exploded into flames, according to police. The police press release (.PDF) reads, "Preliminary investigation revealed that speed may have been a contributing factor to the accident."
Dunn was last seen at Barnaby's of America in West Chester in the hours before the accident.
"Ryan didn't appear drunk before he left," Barnaby's manager told NBC Philadelphia. That manager said Dunn left the bar around 2 a.m.
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A toxicology report on Dunn and Hartwell is not due back for a few weeks, according to the coroner's office.
One of the last men to see Ryan Dunn alive speaks to NBC Philadelphia.
TMZ. com is also reporting Dunn was at the bar Sunday night:
One of the friends tells TMZ ... Dunn had 3 Miller Lites and 3 "girly shots" between 10:30 PM and 2:10 AM -- nearly a 4 hour span -- but he was "not too drunk to drive."
Bam Margera's mom April was the first to publicly confirm the reality TV star's death. In an interview with NBC Philadelphia, April says she learned of the accident after getting a call from WMMR's Preston and Steve radio show. She shared the news with the show after speaking with police.
"He's just the sweetest guy you'd ever want to know and he would do anything for you," April Margara said. April and her husband Phil teared up as they spoke about Dunn saying they considered him a son.
"I know the entire 'Jackass' family is devastated and all of West Chester is devastated," she said.
April Margara also said Dunn was a fast driver and that she told him to slow down "everyday" following a bad accident he was involved in more than a decade ago.
"He drove too fast and I yelled at him all the time about that," she said.
Dunn was known primarily for his dangerous antics and practical jokes in MTV's "Jackass" series and movies with his long-time friend Bam Margera. He is a member of the CKY Crew with Margera. Dunn also co-hosted a show on the G4 network called "Proving Ground."
Bam Margera, who is currently in Phoenix, Ariz., has not spoken publicly about Dunn's death. His parents say he's devastated by the news.
Dunn's friend and former co-star Johnny Knoxville tweeted this statement:
"Today I lost my brother Ryan Dunn. My heart goes out to his family and his beloved Angie. RIP Ryan, I love you buddy."
MTV also released this statement via Twitter regarding the death of Ryan Dunn:
"We're deeply saddened by the passing of a member of the MTV family, Ryan Dunn. Our hearts and thoughts are with his friends and family."
This picture was posted on Dunn's Tumblr about two hours before the accident took place. It has since been removed from his account. April Margera confirms that Dunn is pictured on the left and his passenger Zachary Hartwell is on the far right. The man in the center has yet to be identified.
These pictures were taken at the scene of the accident. (Credit: Eric Lewis)
The #RIPRyanDunn hashtag was blowing up on Twitter and Ryan Dunn was the top trending topic Monday morning as news of his death spread. Dunn's fans also began posting video responses to Dunn's death to YouTube.
