The parents of Zachary Hartwell, the passenger who was killed in “Jackass” star Ryan Dunn‘s high-speed, fatal car ride last year, will be suing his estate posthumously, according to TMZ.
In June 2011, Dunn and Hartwell were driving at 132 MPH in West Goshen, Pa., when Dunn’s Porsche flew over a guardrail into a tree, and burst into flames. Police said that Dunn had a blood alcohol level of .196, double the legal limit. Both Hartwell and Dunn died in the crash.
Hartwell’s parents, George and Emma, have filed a civil lawsuit, and are claiming that Dunn was responsible for their son’s death. The Hartwells also named Barnaby’s West Chester bar in the lawsuit, claiming that Dunn was visibly intoxicated, and that the restaurant should not have continued to serve him.
In the suit, they claim negligence and recklessness, as well as wrongful death.
The Examiner reported that the suit says both parties should pay for the “pre-impact fright, fear, pain, and suffering,” and are also looking for compensation for any wages Hartwell may have earned, as well as funeral costs.
Ryan Dunn, well known for his roles in the graphic MTV movie franchise “Jackass” and its sequels, had been known for his reckless stunts including one where he inserted a toy car into his rectum. At his funeral last year, MTV showed a tribute video which received mixed reactions. Hartwell met Dunn as a production assistant for Jackass 2, and had been married for less than a year when he died.
So far, the couple has not specified the amount of compensation they will seek for their son’s death.
