Eminem's Longtime Stunt Double Dies After Being Hit By A Truck

Eminem's former stunt double has died at 40. A preliminary police report by the Kennewick Police Department in Washington reveals that Ryan Shepard succumbed to his injuries after being struck by a truck.

According to the report, Shepard was crossing the street near a T-shaped intersection in Kennewick, Washington when a truck heading southbound hit him on Jan. 31. He was immediately brought to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

An investigation of the accident is underway. Police said the truck driver did not flee from the scene and was unscathed following the collision.

Shepard worked with Eminem during the early years of his career. He worked with the rapper on his 1999 hit album "The Slim Shady LP," which propelled him to fame. He also served as Eminem's photo double and stand-in in many of his projects and previously appeared as the rapper's superhero character Rap Boy at the MTV Movie Awards.

Shepard's LinkedIn profile reveals that he accompanied the "Without Me" singer to many of his early projects and worked as a stand-in for him at the North American, European, and Japanese legs of his 2002 Anger Management Tour, which came months after the 2002 MTV Movie Awards. He served as Eminem's stunt double and stand-in in both performances.

Shepard also appeared as Eminem's stunt double in some of his music videos, including D12's "Purple Pills," where he took on the role of the rapper's superhero clone.

After four years of working with the rapper, the celebrity doppelganger left Eminem's Shady Records in 2005 to pursue a career in engineering. His LinkedIn profile shows he secured a job as a ride and show engineer for Walt Disney Imagineering, where he was employed for many years before working as a test automation engineer for SpaceX.

Shepard also worked as an engineer in other animatronics companies, including Garner Holt Productions and Romaire Studios.

Meanwhile, the incident involving Shepard was the second fatal crash reported in the area since 2019. Four years ago, another deadly crash involving an 82-year-old man and a station wagon took place in the same spot where Shepard was hit, allegedly due to heavy rains.