I guess you could call me out of the loop. Or just old. That’s what most people do.
I usually have a pretty good feel for news. So I was a little perplexed when the buzz started going through the newsroom yesterday morning concerning a fatal car crash in Chester County and reports that it involved Ryan Dunn.
Which left me with just one question. Who is Ryan Dunn?
Thus started my continuing education in new media and the people who make a living from it.
Ryan Dunn was one of the stars of the ‘Jackass’ reality TV and movie series. And yes, his death turned out to be a very big deal. Thousands of people went to our website yesterday to read about the accident that took his life and view the videos of the crash scene and people reacting to his death.
At one point yesterday more than 60,000 people had watched the video, both on our site and those of our sister papers.
I had heard of ‘Jackass.’ I know of its star, Bam Margera. He's a native of the West Chester area, as were many of his pals who formed the heart of the show that often involved crude jokes and pranks.
But I can admit that I have never seen a single ‘Jackass’ episode. And I had no clue who Ryan Dunn was. I do now.
At the time of his death, Dunn was behind the wheel of a Porsche 911. It is a car built for speed, and Dunn was well-known for his affinity for fast cars. In their preliminary report, West Goshen police indicated speed may be a factor in the crash, in which Dunn's Porsche apparently missed the ramp for an exit, flew over the guardrail, slammed into the woods and then burst into flames. A passenger in the car also was killed.
There is also the matter of what Dunn had been doing before the crash.
I don’t know whether Dunn was driving too fast at the time of the crash.
Nor do I know if he had been drinking earlier in the day.
What I do know is his death had an amazing effect on people. As it turns out most people described him as a genuinely nice guy. Not exactly what I think of when I consider the 'Jackass' genre.
I got one final reminder of who Ryan Dunn was and what he meant to people on my drive home last night. As it turns out, my commute takes me right past the spot where Dunn’s crash occurred.
I was stunned to see the crowd that had gathered at about 7:30, about 17 hours after the crash. There must have been 30 people milling around, some carrying flowers, others lighting candles.
Rest in peace, Ryan Dunn. It’s pretty obvious you’ll be missed, even by an editor who had no idea who you were.
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