Ryan Dunn, star of the reality show "Jackass," has died in a car accident in Pennsylvania, CBS Philly has learned.
Sources say the West Chester native was one of two people killed in a single car crash in Chester County early Monday morning. The double fatal crash happened at about 3 a.m. on Route 322 near New Street in West Goshen Township.
According to the police report released by West Goshen, the 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 Dunn was driving crashed into a wooded area off the road and burst into flames. Both Dunn and his unidentified passenger died as a result of injuries they sustained in the crash. Police believe speed may have played a role in the accident.
Dunn is best known as a daredevil and sidekick of Bam Margera in the popular stunt and prank show "Jackass" which is filmed in the West Chester region.
Dunn recently appeared in the summer premiere of NBC's hit game show "Minute To Win It" with one of his prankster partners Steve-O, playing for a charity. He is also a host on G4′s new show "Proving Ground," which debuted June 14.
The West Chester native had just celebrated his birthday on June 11.
Ryan Dunn was 34.
Meanwhile, KYW's Ian Bush reports that some fans and detractors of Dunn's work wonder if it was a daredevil stunt gone wrong.
On the small screen, "Jackass" was the YouTube of its time, bringing wipe-outs and gross-outs directly to your living room, with MTV's "don't do this at home" disclaimer rarely enough to keep any kid with a camera from doing his own stupid stunts.
Dunn was a regular on the show and in the movies. In one of his most memorable scenes, he drove a golf cart into a plastic pig -- and the statue won, leaving the buggy busted and a heart-stopping moment as star and passenger Johnny Knoxville looked as if he'd done his last stunt.
Dunn and Margera buddied up and did some TV and films of their own — in one case, while the cameras were rolling, getting stopped for speeding.
(Margera:) "What's goin' on?"
(Dunn:) "Pulled over."
(Margera:) "How fast?"
(Dunn:) "167, was it?" (laughter)
