Both Dunn and Zachary Hartwell, 30, died from “blunt and thermal trauma.” Hartwell had also been in one of the Jackass movies and was a stunt car driver.
Dunn posted a picture a couple hours before the crash with a drink in his hand at a Barnaby’s in West Chester. The bar is about a mile away from the accident. The manager seemed intent on denying any over-serving of the star, insisting “He didn’t seem to be intoxicated at the time he left. Ryan was not a hardcore drinker, at least not when he was here.” The bar could be sued by the families of the two men, though successful dram shop cases by the actual drunk are rare. Some states restrict such actions to third parties. However, even without a dram shop claim, there can be a straight negligence claim. The problem is one of assumption of the risk and contributory fault. The passenger is in the best position for such a lawsuit against both the driver and the bar. However, these can be difficult cases to make out if both men were drinking.
Every year, many kids are injured doing Jackass stunts, such as jumping from a moving car. The stunt of driving at 140 mph while drunk could have left others dead.
Source: CNN