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R.I.P.
TapouT Owner Dies in Horrific Ferrari Crash

Posted Mar 11th 2009 3:12PM by TMZ Staff

TMZ has confirmed the owner of the TapouT MMA clothing line died this morning when his ultra-rare $300,000 Ferrari crashed into a light pole, ripping the car in half.

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TMZ has learned Charles Lewis Jr. -- aka "Mask" -- was driving his Ferrari Modena in Orange County, Calif. around 1:00 AM this morning when cops say it "left the roadway, hit the curb, took out a light pole."

"Mask" was declared dead at the scene. A female passenger -- who was ejected from the crash -- was taken to a local hospital, but we're told she's in bad shape.

Cops believe "Mask" was racing a guy in a Porsche at the time of the crash, and authorities have since arrested the guy they believe was driving the other car. That man -- Jeffrey David Kirby -- is being held on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter.

UPDATE: A rep for TapouT released this statement: "It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we must regretfully confirm the passing of our beloved friend, brother and co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis following a car accident that occurred last night. We are currently in the process of setting up a memorial service in his honor and will release more details as they become available. Many thanks to all for the outpouring of blessings and well-wishes during this incredibly difficult time."

Tags: accident, Charles Lewis Jr, CharlesLewisJr, crash, dead, die, Ferrari, Jeffrey David Kirby, JeffreyDavidKirby, Mask, MMA, Porsche, Tapout

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1. auch

Posted at 3:20PM on Mar 11th 2009 by Stian10101

2. wow..

Posted at 3:25PM on Mar 11th 2009 by Boogie

3. Sucks, but being a dumbass has it's costs..

Posted at 3:23PM on Mar 11th 2009 by Dan

4. That's sad, but why would the guy he was racing be charged with vehicular manslaughter? It was Lewis' choice to race. The other guy should be charged with street racing and dangerous driving, but that's it.

Posted at 3:24PM on Mar 11th 2009 by Amirra

5. I know this is really really REALLY mean
BUT,
this dude was a total douche bag, and totally full of himself..
probably was showing off and being a douche bag and thats probably how he died.

I KNOW THIS IS MEAN..
BUT DID ANYONE EVER WATCH THE SHOW TAPOUT?!? C'mon total douche bag

Posted at 3:25PM on Mar 11th 2009 by ☆★RoXaNnE☆★

6. That's mean.

Posted at 3:28PM on Mar 11th 2009 by Cat\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

7. When I saw that newscast this morning the driver was not identified but I knew it would turn out to be someone prominent. Then again, that is pretty obvious since short order cooks don't tend to drive Ferrari 360's!

Posted at 3:26PM on Mar 11th 2009 by ELK

8. Darwin Award Nominee

Posted at 3:28PM on Mar 11th 2009 by what I said

9. RIP Mask

Posted at 3:28PM on Mar 11th 2009 by assmouth

10. RIP Mask. "Life is full of influences, It's your application that sets you apart.
That's something I wrote to myself and completely believe in. You can't be scared to set out to do something in life because you believe it may be similar to something, or because you don't know the clear cut path on how you're going to accomplish your goal or dream! Just take a step towards your belief daily - fearlessly, wholeheartedly, digging and dreaming within yourself, believing that as you push on through sacrifice, you will one day stand alone on top of a hill that you created that now encourages and inspires others to chase their dream. Knowing that through tenacity and patience anything can be achieved.
If you simply believe" - - Charles Lewis Jr a.k.a. Mask

TAPOUT: AN EXPRESSION OF COMBAT KNOWN WORLDWIDE
This counterculture crew boasts a sought-after clothing line, a raucous in-demand TV reality show, and sponsors the best MMA Fighters all the while creating hype and mystique The trio equaling the TapouT Crew - Mask, Punkass and Skyskrape - are no strangers to the fanfare surrounding the infamous sport of MMA and are never too shy to strike their notorious poses with fight-frenzied fans. As the premiere lifestyle brand of the MMA world, TapouT undoubtedly corners the competition- in and out of the octagon.
As the energy is escalating around the MMA culture, TapouT is taking on a life of its own with an attitude so American and Arrogant that the demand for the brand has gone global. “The TapouT phenomenon can’t be explained easily. TapouT is here to help bring the sport to its rightful place of world domination, and our products are just an extension of that,” says TapouT’s ringleader Mask. The ubiquitous logo-blazen tee shirt that made TapouT a madhouse-hold name can now be purchased in over 20,000 retail stores worldwide (not including online), along with a full line of fighter gear, men’s, women’s, youth and accessories.

Mask - your influence and energy for MMA, sportsmanship, and presence will be missed bro!

Posted at 4:03PM on Mar 11th 2009 by UFC FAN

11. This is tragic! Do you have any idea how rare those Ferraris are?

Posted at 3:29PM on Mar 11th 2009 by DR. Autocarbus\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

12. RIP. To Roxanne how could you even say something like that. Yes I watched the show Tapout and thought it was a good show. The Mask was always on there laughing and cutting up playing jokes. He will be missed very much unlike when ever you die Roxanne. Who would cry over you after hearing that they pulled the rat out of your butt because your dumb*ss thought it was a gerbil instead of a rat.

Posted at 3:30PM on Mar 11th 2009 by JRock4

13. The guy acted like this because that was the character he played. Mask was actually an upstanding incredibly compassionate and nice guy.

This is a loss to the MMA and community in general. He did a lot of good you have no idea about the real man.

The other guy in the Porshe getting arrested is ridiculous he didnt force mask to race or crash. Terrible terrible law.

Posted at 3:32PM on Mar 11th 2009 by micro

14. Guys do not hate. You're showing colors worse than what he stood for by saying stuff like that. He was ecentric and to some a douche, but he built a clothing empire from nothing and helped drive the UFC to where it is now. What have you guys done? He did a lot for a sport he loved and gae back to all around him and within his community. Show a little respect and don't act like you never raced before or have done anything stupid....

Posted at 3:33PM on Mar 11th 2009 by TapOut

15. Why arrest the other guy? He won!!

Posted at 3:34PM on Mar 11th 2009 by Mr.DNA

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