Today's Evil Beet Gossip

Ryan Dunn Was Definitely Drunk and Speeding When He Wrecked

A photo of Ryan Dunn

And I don’t just mean that Ryan was tipsy and driving a little too fast, I mean that Ryan’s blood alcohol content was 0.196, which is more than twice Pennsylvania’s legal limit of 0.08, and he was going between 130 and 140 miles per hour in a 55 zone. So yeah, that’s the most reckless thing I’ve ever heard.

I still stand by what I said on Monday – I think Ryan was a great, funny dude who made some horrible, deplorable, and obviously dangerous mistakes.  I’ve been out of my mind wasted before, and in between leaning over the balcony, trying not to vomit, and passing out, I’ve refused to get in a car with someone who’s had a few beers.  The whole drunk driving thing is just not something that I’ve ever been ok with. Some people are more like Ryan though, who think that everything will be ok and they can handle it, and of course that’s dumb and awful and millions of bad things, but that still doesn’t make him a completely soulless thing and it still doesn’t make it appropriate for people to make jokes a few hours after his death.  If you don’t believe me, check out Bam Margera’s interview about his best friend of over 15 years.

Of course I don’t condone drinking and driving, none of us do, but I still think it’s insanely insensitive to say that someone deserved to die on any occasion.  Let’s acknowledge stupidity and recklessness and how dangerous these things can be while still maintaining some sense of empathy, ok?  Can we please just do that?

22 CommentsLeave a comment

  • Empathy? This asshole got shitfaced – 0.2 is in the “falling down drunk” range – and decided to cruise around at speeds that would be reckless even if he was completely sober. I’m just glad he succeeded in killing himself before he killed anyone else.

    Hey, I support the right to die, if someone wants to commit suicide, it’s their business, but don’t do it in a way that endangers others.

    • dmitri just wanted to say congradulations you are a fucking dush bag! get your numbers right and shut the fuck up

      • ryan dunn was a great guy that made a mistake and paid the ultimate debt for it unfortunetly. any one who thinks other wise can fuck off

      • Congradulations ? Way to go … try congratulations. And douche, not dush. Amazed that you can spell fuck properly, lol.

  • I’m glad you guys are being level headed about this Emily. But I’m wondering if someone is falling down drunk are they really even thinking about the consequences? Like would it even occur to them? I’m not a big drinker and I’m usually at home if I am. Forgive me if I sound naive, But I’m just wondering.

    • I have been shit faced, falling down drunk, puking everywhere (thank you 21st birthday) and even then I refused to drive or do anything that would put anyone in danger. Being drunk is no excuse in my eyes. The years and years of jackassery has left these fucktards thinking they are indestructible. Ryan has totaled many cars in the past and was made fun by his jackass buddies of for his horrid driving. This whole thing was Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest at it’s finest. If anyone finds what I’m saying here harsh I don’t care. I cannot abide by drunk driving.

  • Yes, yes, empathy, shmempathy. As a lover of glass houses, I shan’t throw stones and say that I’ve never had a couple then driven home. I have. On a few occasions. I try not to, I mostly avoid it, but sometimes, it happens. He lost the right to empathy when he hit and passed 60mph in a 55, b/c jackass or no, if I’ve had a drink and I need to get home, I’m the asshole in the slow lane going 40 in a 45, seat back in full upright position, hands on the wheel at 10 & 2, and radio shut off. Doesn’t make it right, but I’ve made it home every time (and it makes it way easier to pull over and puke if need be).

    • Mel, you nailed it. Once you start to be reckless, as Dunn clearly did, you lose a bit of empathy. It is only luck that at this point we are only talking about him as the deceased and not some innocent person that he clipped instead.

  • Seeing as they are still waiting for the results of his blood alcohol level… I call bullshit on this.

  • I think the reaction to Ebert has been ridiculous. Nothing he said was offensive or a joke – the man was literally on a show called jackass, thus calling him a jackass is fine.

    If people should be angry at anyone, it is Dunn. Looking at his past, this was not an isolated incident and was bound to happen. The only good side of it is that he didn’t take out more people than him and his passenger. If ms lohan had done this, everyone would be making jokes before her body was cold. Why should people hold back from making light of someone’s death after they had been courting that death for so long. His friends had him in a betting pool to die by car…then they get their panties in a wad about Ebert?

  • Not cool guys, he was stupid but nobody deserves to be publicly bashed right after his dead.

    I know he isn’t innocent and it isn’t even actually accurate to say “luck he didn’t kill nobody else than him”, because he did: HE KILLED HIS PASSENGER.

    I guess it makes sense since these guys, who I am a fan of, probably ended believing they were indestructible surviving real crazy stuff before. But it wasn’t only Dunn’s responsability, but of those he was drinking with, who let him drive, knowing how messed up he was AND HOW MUCH OF A RECKLESS DRIVER HE WAS.

    Dunn was responsible for his actions, and he paid for it indeed, but let’s try not to be so harsh, being tuff on a dead guy isn’t a good example for your kids.

    • I see your point – being tough on a dead guy is harsh. But with regard to setting an example for kids…I think glorifying him and defending his actions behind the wheel sends entirely the wrong message to kids.

      When is it OK for us to say he acted irresponsibly and his death should not surprise anyone?

  • What the hell have you all got against Ryan? Yeah, he made the worse choice possible, AND DIED FOR IT. Him and ONLY him. He didn’t cause any accidents. Don’t you think death was the ultimate price? Far out, go and get lives and watch some comedy. Or at least develop sympathetic hearts.

    • It was not ONLY him – he had a passenger. That he did not take more out with him was only luck. I do have something against saying this was an accident or unpredictable in anyway.

  • I’m surprised there has not yet been a wrongful death suit against the estate from his passenger’s family. And where were their seatbelts?

  • Dunn made grievous error in driving drunk and then driving a 130mph. He could have taken out families etc., but luckily no one was on the road. I feel sorry for his family and especially for the fellow that was with him and his family. I would have never gotten into the car and if by chance I did and he started going over 55 mph I would have thrown the fucking clutch…

  • no excuse. he’s a complete idiot for what he did. just because he made you laugh a couple times, doesn’t allot for you to side-step the idea that he killed someone else. i think my biggest thing is these people out here acting like they lost a brother because he was less of a douche-bag celebrity than the most. it’s sad, it’s heart-breaking, and like you said it’s a million other things. but what it most centainly is NOT.. is ok.