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Jean-Paul · 03-12-2009, 08:51 AM

TapouT Co-Founder Lewis Dies in Crash
Posted Mar 11, 2009 8:03 PM
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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (March 11) - Mixed martial arts figure "Mask," who co-founded the TapouT clothing line, was killed early Wednesday when a $300,000 Ferrari crashed and was torn in half. The driver of another car was arrested for investigation of manslaughter.
Tragic Accident in Newport Beach

Don Leach, Daily Pilot7 photos
A Newport Beach police investigator searches the ground for clues after a violent accident that killed TapouT co-founder Charles Lewis.
(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)
A Newport Beach police investigator searches the ground for clues after a violent accident that killed TapouT co-founder Charles Lewis.
Don Leach, Daily Pilot
Lewis was dead at the scene, while an unknown female passenger in the car was thrown from the vehicle and taken to the hospital. She's listed in stable condition with a broken arm and other injuries.
Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press
The Ferrari collided into a light pole, knocking it over and splitting the car in half, according to police.
Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press
A patrol officer saw the Ferrari and a 1977 Porsche coupe spinning out of control early Wednesday morning, but it's unknown if the two cars collided.
Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press
Jeffrey David Kirby, the driver of the Porsche coupe, was charged with investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and is being held on $2 million bail.
Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press
A police spokesman says if it is too early to tell if the two cars were racing, but the cars were going very fast according to evidence at the scene.
Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press
It's still not known if Lewis was the driver at the accident. He helped co-found TapouT, a clothing line that generated more than $50 million in revenue last year.
Don Leach, Daily Pilot
TapouT announced the death of Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. in a statement and said a memorial service was being planned.
However, the Orange County coroner's office did not immediately confirm his identity.
Police said the crash occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Jamboree Boulevard, a major street in wealthy Newport Beach.
A patrol officer saw the red 2004 Ferrari Modena and a white 1977 Porsche coupe spinning out of control, possibly as a result of a collision, police Lt. Craig Fox said in a statement.
"We believe they were going fast based on the skids and the damage to the vehicle," Fox told KABC-TV. "But we can't speculate at this point if they were racing or not."
The Ferrari hit a curb, then knocked over a light pole that fell on it and the car was torn in half, Fox said.
Lewis died at the scene.
Deaths in Sports

TapouT125 photos
Charles Lewis Jr., March 11: The TapouT co-founder is killed in a car accident. He was believed to be 45 years old. Click through the gallery to see more recent deaths of athletes and sports personalities.
(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)
Charles Lewis Jr., March 11: The TapouT co-founder is killed in a car accident. He was believed to be 45 years old. Click through the gallery to see more recent deaths of athletes and sports personalities.
TapouT
Colleen Howe, March 6: "Mrs. Hockey," the wife of hockey great Gordie Howe and one of the first female sports agents, died after battling Pick's disease, a rare form of dementia.
EFK / AP
Norm Van Lier, Feb. 26: The three-time All-Star and fan favorite was nicknamed "Stormin' Norman" because of his tenacious play. Norman retired after the 1979 season with 8,770 points and 5,217 assists.
Noren Trotman, NBAE / Getty Images
Larry H. Miller, Feb. 20: Miller, a Utah businessman and owner of the Jazz, passed away after complications of type 2 diabetes.
Douglas C. Pizac, AP
Mike Whitmarsh, Feb. 19: The 1996 Olympic silver medalist in beach volleyball committed suicide with carbon monoxide from car exhaust, according to the medical examiner.
Al Bello, Getty Images
Kamila Skolimowska, Feb. 18: The 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the hammer throw died suddenly while training in Portugal. The Polish athlete was just 26.
Olivier Morin, AFP/Getty Images
Ted Uhlaender, Feb. 12: The former Major League Baseball player, seen here as Cleveland's first base coach in 2001, had worked most recently as a scout for San Francisco.
Rick Stewart , Allsport / Getty Images
Jeremy Lusk, Feb. 9: The motocross star died two days after suffering head injuries in a crash.
Cal Sport Media / ZUMA Press
Mel Kaufman, Feb. 9: The former linebacker, who won two Super Bowl rings as a player with the Redskins, died in his California home at the age of 50.
NFL / Getty Images
Marian Cozma, Feb. 8: The 26-year-old was a member of Romania's national handball team. Cozma was stabbed to death and two other players were seriously injured in an attack at a nightclub in western Hungary.
Srdjan Ilic, AP
"We don't know if he was the driver," Fox said.
A woman was thrown from the car and was hospitalized for a broken arm and other injuries, Fox said.
She was hospitalized in stable condition, according to a police statement. Her identity was not immediately released.
The Porsche briefly stopped at the crash site but then drove off, police said.
It was later spotted on street a short distance away and a couple who were seen walking away from it were arrested, Fox said.
Jeffrey David Kirby, 51, of Costa Mesa, was booked for investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and remained jailed on $2 million bail.
Kirby could not immediately be reached for comment because his home number was unlisted and it was not immediately clear whether he was represented by an attorney.
The woman, Lynn Marie Nabozny, 32, of Newport Beach, was arrested for investigation of public intoxication and released. She will not be charged, however, Fox said.
There were no telephone listings for Nabozny.
Lewis, believed to be 45, was known for his signature facepaint stripes and was considered a pioneering mogul in mixed martial arts, considered an extreme sport that combines wrestling, martial arts and boxing moves and remains illegal in some states. In 1997 he co-founded TapouT, based in Grand Terrace in San Bernardino County.
At first, he and his friends sold T-shirts at local gyms and at events.
"Back then, the sport wasn't even legal" in California, Lewis told the Los Angeles Times last year. "Sometimes if the cops showed up you'd all have to pretend it was fake wrestling so you wouldn't get in trouble."
The clothing line is now sold in 20,000 stores around the world and last year had more than $50 million in revenue, representatives said.
Lewis and two partners also starred in a reality TV show called "TapouT" on the Versus channel that involved roaming around the country seeking mixed martial arts fighters to train and sponsor.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-03-11 20:47:07
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03-12-2009, 08:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jean-Paul I think, therefore I post Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Little Rock, AR Posts: 15,098	TapouT Co-Founder dies in crash TapouT Co-Founder Lewis Dies in Crash Posted Mar 11, 2009 8:03 PM Print Text Size A AA NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (March 11) - Mixed martial arts figure "Mask," who co-founded the TapouT clothing line, was killed early Wednesday when a $300,000 Ferrari crashed and was torn in half. The driver of another car was arrested for investigation of manslaughter. Tragic Accident in Newport Beach Don Leach, Daily Pilot7 photos A Newport Beach police investigator searches the ground for clues after a violent accident that killed TapouT co-founder Charles Lewis. (Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker) A Newport Beach police investigator searches the ground for clues after a violent accident that killed TapouT co-founder Charles Lewis. Don Leach, Daily Pilot Lewis was dead at the scene, while an unknown female passenger in the car was thrown from the vehicle and taken to the hospital. She's listed in stable condition with a broken arm and other injuries. Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press The Ferrari collided into a light pole, knocking it over and splitting the car in half, according to police. Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press A patrol officer saw the Ferrari and a 1977 Porsche coupe spinning out of control early Wednesday morning, but it's unknown if the two cars collided. Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press Jeffrey David Kirby, the driver of the Porsche coupe, was charged with investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and is being held on $2 million bail. Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press A police spokesman says if it is too early to tell if the two cars were racing, but the cars were going very fast according to evidence at the scene. Ken Steinhardt, The Orange County Register / ZUMA Press It's still not known if Lewis was the driver at the accident. He helped co-found TapouT, a clothing line that generated more than $50 million in revenue last year. Don Leach, Daily Pilot TapouT announced the death of Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. in a statement and said a memorial service was being planned. However, the Orange County coroner's office did not immediately confirm his identity. Police said the crash occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Jamboree Boulevard, a major street in wealthy Newport Beach. A patrol officer saw the red 2004 Ferrari Modena and a white 1977 Porsche coupe spinning out of control, possibly as a result of a collision, police Lt. Craig Fox said in a statement. "We believe they were going fast based on the skids and the damage to the vehicle," Fox told KABC-TV. "But we can't speculate at this point if they were racing or not." The Ferrari hit a curb, then knocked over a light pole that fell on it and the car was torn in half, Fox said. Lewis died at the scene. Deaths in Sports TapouT125 photos Charles Lewis Jr., March 11: The TapouT co-founder is killed in a car accident. He was believed to be 45 years old. Click through the gallery to see more recent deaths of athletes and sports personalities. (Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker) Charles Lewis Jr., March 11: The TapouT co-founder is killed in a car accident. He was believed to be 45 years old. Click through the gallery to see more recent deaths of athletes and sports personalities. TapouT Colleen Howe, March 6: "Mrs. Hockey," the wife of hockey great Gordie Howe and one of the first female sports agents, died after battling Pick's disease, a rare form of dementia. EFK / AP Norm Van Lier, Feb. 26: The three-time All-Star and fan favorite was nicknamed "Stormin' Norman" because of his tenacious play. Norman retired after the 1979 season with 8,770 points and 5,217 assists. Noren Trotman, NBAE / Getty Images Larry H. Miller, Feb. 20: Miller, a Utah businessman and owner of the Jazz, passed away after complications of type 2 diabetes. Douglas C. Pizac, AP Mike Whitmarsh, Feb. 19: The 1996 Olympic silver medalist in beach volleyball committed suicide with carbon monoxide from car exhaust, according to the medical examiner. Al Bello, Getty Images Kamila Skolimowska, Feb. 18: The 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the hammer throw died suddenly while training in Portugal. The Polish athlete was just 26. Olivier Morin, AFP/Getty Images Ted Uhlaender, Feb. 12: The former Major League Baseball player, seen here as Cleveland's first base coach in 2001, had worked most recently as a scout for San Francisco. Rick Stewart , Allsport / Getty Images Jeremy Lusk, Feb. 9: The motocross star died two days after suffering head injuries in a crash. Cal Sport Media / ZUMA Press Mel Kaufman, Feb. 9: The former linebacker, who won two Super Bowl rings as a player with the Redskins, died in his California home at the age of 50. NFL / Getty Images Marian Cozma, Feb. 8: The 26-year-old was a member of Romania's national handball team. Cozma was stabbed to death and two other players were seriously injured in an attack at a nightclub in western Hungary. Srdjan Ilic, AP "We don't know if he was the driver," Fox said. A woman was thrown from the car and was hospitalized for a broken arm and other injuries, Fox said. She was hospitalized in stable condition, according to a police statement. Her identity was not immediately released. The Porsche briefly stopped at the crash site but then drove off, police said. It was later spotted on street a short distance away and a couple who were seen walking away from it were arrested, Fox said. Jeffrey David Kirby, 51, of Costa Mesa, was booked for investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and remained jailed on $2 million bail. Kirby could not immediately be reached for comment because his home number was unlisted and it was not immediately clear whether he was represented by an attorney. The woman, Lynn Marie Nabozny, 32, of Newport Beach, was arrested for investigation of public intoxication and released. She will not be charged, however, Fox said. There were no telephone listings for Nabozny. Lewis, believed to be 45, was known for his signature facepaint stripes and was considered a pioneering mogul in mixed martial arts, considered an extreme sport that combines wrestling, martial arts and boxing moves and remains illegal in some states. In 1997 he co-founded TapouT, based in Grand Terrace in San Bernardino County. At first, he and his friends sold T-shirts at local gyms and at events. "Back then, the sport wasn't even legal" in California, Lewis told the Los Angeles Times last year. "Sometimes if the cops showed up you'd all have to pretend it was fake wrestling so you wouldn't get in trouble." The clothing line is now sold in 20,000 stores around the world and last year had more than $50 million in revenue, representatives said. Lewis and two partners also starred in a reality TV show called "TapouT" on the Versus channel that involved roaming around the country seeking mixed martial arts fighters to train and sponsor. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. 2009-03-11 20:47:07 Share: Email This Share This With Heavy Hearts, TapouT Confirms Death of Charles ’Mask’ Lewis 11 hours ago Charles Lewis, Mask of TapouT, Dies 13 hours ago Jason Richardson Arrested for Reckless Driving With Son, 3, in Car 23 days ago See More Related Articles and Blog Posts __________________ Fitness Books (Christmas is right around the corner)! Check out my youtube channel... Some fitness stuff (not much any more) and lots of classical guitar stuff.