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RIP Charles "Mask" Lewis
mixedmartialarts.com is reporting that the following story has been confirmed:
http://www.ringleaderfightnews.com/m...ning-car-crash
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/loca..._Driver_Killed
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...i-crash-1.html
http://cbs2.com/local/Ferrari.Driver....2.956105.html
[EDIT: confirmed below as well:]
http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/11/tapout...ferrari-crash/
thats one horrific crash.
RIP
i feel bad for the passenger.
man, that kinda sucks but if you're going to live like that...
i certainly didn't like the wild antics of that crew but when Mask would talk seriously about fighters it was pretty insightful.
wow...i had not been able to look at the articles before....or the pics...sad when fame and money makes you think you are invincible.
RIP.
Prayers said, joss lit
When you street race, you gotta be ready to face the consequences. Going that speed on a public road is endangering alot of innocent people. The only good thing is that no innocents were killed.
there was a girl in the car with him, she apparently will survive, but you have to wonder, if he had any concern for her life at allQuote:
Originally Posted by 1bad65
i think there was some issue over whether or not the driver of the porsche (who was intoxicated btw), collided with him and ran him off the road.
I don't condone street racing, but that would definitely change things.
Both men had passengers in the car. Street racing is dumb, and racing with passengers is even dumber. It doesn't really matter who caused what, the real issue is that neither should have been doing it in the first place and share the culpability, imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pork Chop
agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterKiller
still a big loss though.
You have to be going quite fast to have enough speed to tear a car in half.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pork Chop
Can't wait until the commemorative T-shirts come out. Only $99.95 each...
the more i think about it the more it just sort a ****es me off...supposedly he started Tapout from the ground up...if so, then he's worked hard to get where he was and deserves to have a good time with his life...but wasting it basically in a 'who's d!ck is bigger' contest is just plain stupid. i hope he had a will and did something good with it.
actually, you have a good point there.Quote:
Originally Posted by 1bad65
i thought since it was a ferrari, it was probably some light, little toy car with a huge engine.
The modena he was driving weighs more than my cavalier.
definitely talking serious velocity.
i'm still reluctant to hate on the guy coz he did a lot of good for a lot of guys in the sport. yeah, he went out like an idiot, but i don't know that mma would be where it is today with out his and his company's contributions.
i agree, but it's that he did so much that makes this so stupid.
i just hope that more of the young guys, and probably the old ones too, pause for a reality check.
He certainly did a lot to popularize the sport and clearly reaped the benefits. I've seen the TapouT bus at MMA events and it looks like quite a party wagon. TapouT has ridden the MMA wave like no other company. I see TapouT shirts at Macy's.
I trust you've all seen what they've done at TapouT.
Quote:
Authorities debate whether to charge other driver in death of Charles 'Mask' Lewis'
By Christine Hanley
March 13, 2009
As fans and friends built memorials and paid tribute to a pioneer in the mixed martial arts scene, police and prosecutors debated Thursday whether to charge a Costa Mesa man with causing the death of Charles "Mask" Lewis.
Lewis, who helped energize the emerging sport of mixed martial arts fighting with an edgy clothing line, was killed early Wednesday when his Ferrari crashed into a light pole in Newport Beach. The impact tore the vehicle in half.
The sports car was traveling alongside a Porsche before the crash, police said. The Porsche's driver, Jeffrey David Kirby, 51, remained behind bars Thursday in lieu of $2-million bail. He is being held on suspicion of drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter.
But whether those charges stick was a point of debate Thursday as the Newport Beach Police Department and the Orange County district attorney's office discussed how to proceed.
Kirby was taken into custody Wednesday by Newport Beach police after he left the scene of the 12:57 a.m. accident on Jamboree Road, where the Ferrari crashed into the pole, leaving Lewis, 45, dead. His female passenger was hurled into the street. The woman remains hospitalized, and her name has not been released.
Police say the two cars appeared to have been traveling side by side in the southbound lanes at high speed and may have collided near Upper Newport Bay. Officers stopped short of saying the cars were racing.
Officers found Kirby's Porsche on a side street a short distance away as he and a female passenger were walking away from the vehicle. Both were arrested, though the woman, identified as Lynn Marie Nabozny, was later released.
Kirby has been cited in Orange County for at least eight traffic violations since 2001, including a conviction for driving under the influence in which he was sentenced to three years' probation, according to court records.
In the 2001 drunk driving arrest, Kirby allegedly told the arresting officer that his father was a retired California Highway Patrol officer who always advised him to never submit to a sobriety test. He also told the officer that "he shouldn't be picking on people with money," according to the police report.
Lewis founded TapouT clothing with Dan "Punkass" Caldwell in 1997, selling T-shirts out of the trunks of their cars at mixed martial arts shows. As the mixed martial arts scene exploded, TapouT became the apparel of choice for many fighters, and was the exclusive apparel on the Ultimate Fighting Championship's popular reality series on Spike TV, "The Ultimate Fighter."
Before breaking into the martial arts arena, Lewis was a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy who worked at the Central Detention Center in downtown San Bernardino from December 1996 to May 1998.
On Thursday, employees at the TapouT headquarters in San Bernardino left flowers, candles and balloons at the company's entrance. In Newport Beach, an even more elaborate memorial sprang up near the crash site.
not sure what to think of them ripping the poster theme/idea from "The Crow"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi.../Crow_ver2.jpg
It's open to the public.
Quote:
TapouT Releases Additional Statements Regarding Mask
Company Also Reveals Information on Memorial Services
Grand Terrace, CA. – March 19, 2009 – TapouT today released additional statements regarding the loss of Co-Founder Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr., as well as initial details regarding a memorial service for the fallen Mixed-Martial Arts pioneer.
“We first and foremost want to thank everyone – TapouT fans, Mixed-Marital Arts community and more – for their kind words and support in the wake of Mask’s death,” says TapouT Co-Founder Dan “Punkass” Caldwell. “Whether you’re a fan of MMA or not, Charles’ goal was to inspire people to make a difference in the world and never settle for anything less than their dreams. With TapouT, he reached more people than we could have ever imagined, and his dedication to the sport and brand will live on forever through his fans around the world.”
“Mask was the ultimate entrepreneur,” says TapouT President Marc Kreiner. “I’m still in awe of his marketing and business prowess that brought his dream from the back of a pick-up truck to a world-renowned brand. We’ll miss his drive and intensity for the business, but the leadership he instilled in the company will carry on.”
“Mask was one of the most genuine and honest people I have ever met,” says TapouT Crew Member Timothy “Skyskrape” Katz. “He created TapouT as a way to share his passion and energy for MMA with the world, and the inspiration and attitude of TapouT will continue to live on in Mask’s memory.”
The memorial service, “’Simply Believe’: A Celebration of Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis Jr.,” is set for Tuesday, April 14 at 11:00 am at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. The service will be open to the public, and fans and friends alike will gather to pay tribute to the life that taught us that anything is possible if you “Simply Believe.”
For additional inquiries, please contact: Adam Feigen – 212-373-6106
I know a lot of people in the shirt business. We're even in the shirt business. 20,000 stores worldwide is phenomenal.
Quote:
Mourners in Rialto remember mixed martial arts mogul
Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/19/2009 08:42:16 PM PDT
RIALTO - Friends and family gathered Thursday at Sunrise Church to celebrate the life of an entrepreneur who made it big time in the mixed-martial- arts world.
Charles David Lewis Jr., the co-founder of Tapout, a multimillion-dollar clothing line marketed to mixed-martial-arts athletes and fans, was killed March 11 in a car collision in Newport Beach.
He was 45.
Loved ones shared memories of Lewis, a Bloomington High School graduate who enlisted in the Marine Corps, then joined the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department before chasing a dream that would bring him wealth and fame.
"What a chance to look back at his life and perhaps see something that we've missed," said Pastor Chuck Singleton of Loveland Church in Ontario.
Known as "Mask," Lewis often wore face paint as he and his business partners tore through the mixed-martial-arts industry with a clothing line that is sold in 20,000 stores around the world.
He and his friends sold T-shirts at local gyms and events before founding the company in 1997.
Last year, the line brought in more than $50 million in revenue.
Lewis was recalled by loved ones as a man who encouraged others to pursue their dreams.
He also was remembered as a Christian who was rediscovering his faith.
Singleton was his childhood pastor.
"We bless the life of Chucky," Singleton said. "We thank God for him."
There was a moment of silence for Mask at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz. It didn't really work. There were lots of drunk a-holes shouting. But perhaps that's more fitting for MMA...
Quote:
Apr 14, 2009 8:09 am US/Pacific
Loved Ones To Gather To Remember Martial Arts Star
GARDEN GROVE, Calif.
Friends and family of Charles Davis Lewis Jr. were scheduled to gather at 11 a.m. Tuesday to remember the owner of the TapouT MMA clothing line, who was killed in a collision, on March 11.
The service was scheduled to be held at the Crystal Cathedral, which has a seating capacity of 2,800 people.
The 45-year-old Huntington Beach resident was driving with his 23-year-old girlfriend, Lacy Lynn White, on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach at about 1 a.m. on March 11 when the speeding Ferrari collided with the white Porsche driven by 51-year-old Jeffrey David Kirby of Costa Mesa.
The martial arts figure, also known as "Mask," was killed at the scene, while White, who was ejected from the car, was hospitalized with serious injuries.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office said there were no drugs or alcohol in Lewis' system at the time of the accident.
Kirby, who has two prior DUI convictions, was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI and other counts.
Lewis co-founded the TapouT MMA clothing line with Dan Caldwell in the late 1990s. The men followed mixed martial arts fights around the state, selling their T-shirts and other gear.
The company's sales grew to $100 million in 2008 and could reach $250,000 this year.
Fled the scene too. :mad:Quote:
Trial in Ferrari crash that killed Charles 'Mask' Lewis to get underway
November 29, 2010 | 7:50 am
http://www.dailypilot.com/media/phot...0-26104252.jpg
A cardboard sign hangs on a minivan in the parking lot before Tuesday's memorial service for Charles "Mask" Lewis at Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove.
When Charles "Mask" Lewis was killed in a Newport Beach car crash in March 2009, fans of mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship league were devastated.
The skid marks swerving right on southbound Jamboree Road north of Bison Avenue showed where Lewis' Ferrari headed: straight into a concrete light pole. The collision split the car in half, killing Lewis and throwing a female passenger onto a dirt embankment, breaking her elbow.
Now, 20 months since that late-night crash, the man prosecutors say was drunk behind the wheel of his own sports car and hit Lewis' Ferrari, causing the crash, is headed for trial Monday at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
Jeffrey David Kirby, 53, of Costa Mesa, is charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and driving under the influence and causing great bodily injury with sentencing enhancements for allegedly fleeing the scene and injuring multiple people. Prosecutors contend that Kirby was speeding southbound on Jamboree in his 1977 Porsche about 1 a.m. on March 11, 2009, next to Lewis, the 45-year-old founder of a mixed-martial-arts clothing business.
Kirby lost control of his car and swerved into Lewis' Ferrari, sending him into the light pole, officials said.
It sounds like it might have been a street race gone bad.
speed limits in the OC though are around 50 mph...Quote:
Originally Posted by BJJ-Blue
Not sure what your getting at.Quote:
Originally Posted by SenseiShellie
It takes alot of velocity/speed to be able to rip a car in half, and I'd be interested if 50mph is fast enough to do that.
i don't think it was a street race gone bad. With the actual speed limit on that street being 50 mph, people normally go about 60...however, if the person is drunk, they could be going over that. it's a beach town, so there is moisture on the roads. I think it could be easily determined that this formula would work...Quote:
Originally Posted by BJJ-Blue
drunk person + wetish road + fast car + more than likely swerving into the opposite lane = other fast car getting forced off the road into lamp post and having car wrapped around it.
it didnt actually rip the car in half down the middle... thats just sensationalistic bullsh!t the media says to sell a story... it was bad, but not that bad... you know how fast you need to go to split a car down the middle with a phone poll??? im willing to bet its not even possible...Quote:
Originally Posted by BJJ-Blue
I'm not sure how fast you have to be going, but I know it's possible. I'm a car guy so I visit my share of car forums, and I've seen more than a few pics of cars cut in half. My cousin actually ripped a car in half in high school, I actually saw that car in person and visited him in the hostpital while he was recovering.Quote:
Originally Posted by Syn7
I just read the article and asked the question about a street race. It had all the ingredients: speed, two cars admittedly side by side, and a loss of control. I admit I do my share of street racing, and thats one of the things I fear the most, someone beside me fishtailing while shifting and hitting my car while we are both accelerating at a high rate of speed.
As a cop, I have seen MANY car crashes. At 50 mph you would be surprised how much damage to a car can be done with a fixed object. I've seen the front end wrap around a tree and half crush an engine at 40 mph so at 60 mph, depending on the vehicle and where it collides, the damage could get pretty bad. But that all depends on the speed, road conditions and point of impact and the vehicle.
sure, weve all seen that... but have you ever seen a car torn in half right down the middle from a telephone pole??? i think not... ive seen front ends, back ends, roofs torn off, stuff like that... but never an end to end split down the middle... youd have to really be moving very VERY fast in a very poorly made car hitting a massively reinforced stationary object more like a wedge than a pole... and even then i cant see it happening...Quote:
Originally Posted by Yung Apprentice
So was the car torn in half to where you had a left half and a right half, or was it torn in half so you have a front half and a rear half? I'm confused.Quote:
Originally Posted by Syn7
And remember, he was driving a Ferrari. Those cars are built for speed, not safety. So they are built light, not heavy.