Inside 'Jackass' Star Ryan Dunn's Tragic Death

The death of the former 'Jackass' star is still having reverberations.

By Andrew Roberts

It has been over a decade since former Jackass star Ryan Dunn was killed after crashing his Porsche 911 GT3 in 2011. Dunn and a passenger, Zachery Hartwell, were killed after the sports car collided with a guardrail at 130 miles per hour, later coming to rest in the woods before catching on fire.

According to The Guardian, Dunn was killed by the blunt force trauma suffered in the crash and the heat that followed once the crash caught on fire. Dunn's blood alcohol cocentration was measured at 0.196%, twice the legal Pennsylvania limit of 0.08. Michael Carroll, the West Goshen Township Chief of Police, called the crash the "worst" he had ever seen. "[Never] seen a car destroyed in an automobile accidet the way this car was...evem before it cause on fire."

Dunn had posted photos on social media before the crash, indicating he had a night of drinks at Barnaby's in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Many shared their memories of Dunn after the initial news broke, though late movie reviewer Robert Ebert was a bit too overzealous with a tweet joking about his role on Jackass and the headlines after his death.

"We appreciate the support of Ryan's fans during this time, and we are grateful for your thoughts and prayers," Dunn's brother Eric wrote at the time. "Ryan will be greatly missed, but he will forever remain in our hearts."

Dunn's Jackass co-stars also spoke out at the time, including Steve-O, Wee Man, and hus best friend Bam Margera. The former pro skater has likely been left changed by the loss more than any of the others, with his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse in the years that followed.

"I never had anybody, anybody, that I cared about die – I didn't know what the hell it was like," Margera said on VH1's Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn. "Then all of a sudden, my best friend dies – like, what the f--k? What do you do now?' Well, I went on a drinking bender."

Margera has had plenty of ups and downs in recent memory, including rehab stints, feuds with his former Jackass co-stars, and family drama involving his son. He recently was ordered to wear an alcohol-monitor after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct from April 2023.

"I just want to say thanks for this whole situation," Margera told Judge Patrick Carmody after his plea was entered. "It's let me clean up my life. It is a blessing in disguise.

"With the path I was on with alcohol and drugs, I needed to hit some rock bottom to turn things around," Margera added. "Now, I am on the right path." Hopefully this means Margera is on a path that can finally put Dunn's passing to rest and allow him to move forward healthily.

For others, Dunn's death could still stand as a stark warning behind drinking while under the influence. His decisions on that night in 2011 took his life, took his passenger's life, and sent the lives of his loved ones into a spiral. It's a tragic lesson to keep close.

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