‘Jackass’ star Ryan Dunn dies in car crash

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ― “Jackass’’ star Ryan Dunn, who made viewers cringe and snicker through vulgar stunts in their multimillion-dollar TV and movie franchise, was killed early Monday in a fiery car crash. He was 34.

Dunn, a daredevil whose most famous skits included diving into a sewage tank and shoving a toy car into his rectum, was driving his 2007 Porsche in suburban Philadelphia when it went off the road, flipped over a guardrail and crashed into the woods before bursting into flames. A passenger was also killed, and speed may have been a factor in the crash, West Goshen Township police said.

The force of impact shattered the vehicle into several twisted and blackened pieces, leaving the Porsche 911 GT3 unrecognizable except for a door that was thrown from the crash and not incinerated. A 100-foot(30-meter)-long tire skid marked where the car left the roadway.

Both Dunn and his passenger were severely burned. Police said they were able to identify Dunn through his tattoos and hair, but the identity of his passenger was still unknown.

Dunn appeared on MTV shows “Jackass’’ and “Viva La Bam’’ and the three “Jackass’’ big-screen adaptations. He also was the star of his own MTV show, “Homewrecker,’’ and hosted “Proving Ground’’ on the G4 cable network.

G4 spokesman Dave Welch said “Proving Ground,’’ which premiered June 11 with the second episode slated to air Tuesday, was being pulled for now until the network can discuss the show’s future.

Dunn also starred in the yet-to-be-released film “Living Will.’’ The film’s website describes Dunn’s character as a “party bum slacker (who) returns from the dead as a mischievous and perverted ghost.’’