Charles "Mask" Lewis, a colorfully dressed proponent of mixed martial arts, died early Wednesday when his 2004 Ferrari 360 Modena was cut in half in a collision with a Porsche. The accident occurred on Jamboree Road in this affluent Southern California city. A woman riding with Lewis was ejected from the Ferrari and is listed in critical condition today. Lewis was 45.
A photo posted on the Los Angeles Times Web site shows the spectacularly wrecked Ferrari, which hit a light pole in the incident. Lewis reportedly died at the scene. News reports said the driver of the Porsche, Jeffrey David Kirby of Costa Mesa, was arrested after driving away from the scene, then parking and fleeing on foot along with a female passenger. He is reportedly being held on $2 million bail for suspicion of felony drunk driving, among other charges.
Police told the Times that the two cars may have been racing. The paper also said Kirby received "at least eight" traffic citations in the past eight years and had been convicted and placed on probation for a previous DUI offense.
Lewis was known for his colorful clothing and painted face that he said had been inspired by the style of the rock band Kiss. He was a former sheriff's deputy for San Bernardino County who became a major figure in the sport of mixed martial arts. He was also a founder of the clothing company Tapout, which was the exclusive clothing supplier for the Spike TV reality series, The Ultimate Fighter. Lewis himself appeared for two seasons on the Versus TV reality show Tapout, which showed him traveling around the country seeking future mixed martial arts stars.
On the Tapout site, Lewis ironically wrote: "Life is full of influences. It's your application that sets you apart." He also told Sports Illustrated last year that it's "his blurring of reality with comics" that made his clothing company's style unique.
Just in case you weren't already aware that racing a Porsche at 1 a.m. in your Ferrari is a bad idea, here's yet another reminder.
Write By : Laura Sky Brown
Charles "Mask" Lewis (center) said the appeal of his Tapout line of clothing, as well as of the mixed martial arts he starred in, was the "blurring of reality with comics." Lewis was killed in a high-speed Ferrari crash early Wednesday.
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