Ryan Dunn; A fitting death?

Ryan Dunn - one of the original members of MTV's hit show Jackass - died early Monday morning. Dunn, who was apparently drinking with friends, ran his Porsche 911 GT3 off a road around 3am. The car crashed into a tree and caught on fire, police say.

Dunn is being mourned by thousands of people, including co-star and best friend Bam Margera, who tweeted I have been crying hysterical for a full day.

Yet, while the death of the Jackass star is extremely tragic, it is in many ways fitting. Dunn devoted his life to extremes; his whole professional career surrounded dares and pranks. Dunn's, along with Margera's, antics preceded even Jackass. At 22 years old, the two started making videos under the Camp Kill Yourself (CKY) brand, which caught the attention of MTV producers and spun-off into the Jackass television series and movies.

The rest of Dunn's life circled around danger. Dunn was famous for his willingness to be harmed for the sake of entertainment and fun. He starred in three TV shows - Jackass, Viva la Bam, and Homewrecker, all of which showcased his penchant for peril.

Dunn's career can be seen as the evolution of the Dare Devil persona in the internet age. He wholeheartedly devoted himself and his wellbeing to pursuing his passion. His personal and professional lives were inseparable. Even when he was out with partying with two old friends, Dunn was pushing himself to the limit, as he always did, driving his Porsche as fast as he could on winding Pennsylvania roads. It wouldn't be honest, it wouldn't be Dunn, if he wasn't.

Death is always sad, especially the death of someone who made so many people happy. But if Dunn could have picked the way he wanted to go, a 100-mile, fiery car crash might have been what he would pick. It would have been sadder for Dunn to die any other way. Dunn died being himself. He died doing what he loved. It may have been irresponsible, but it wouldn't have been fitting if it wasn't.