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Roger Avary In Trouble With The Law
Posted by Kotaku US Edition at 7:30 PM on January 15, 2008
Roger Avary, who were it not for the writer's strike would probably be hard at work finishing up his script for the Wolfenstein movie, is instead looking at some potential jail time after being arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. He's alleged to have been driving under the influence when, early Monday morning, he was involved in a car accident which saw his wife hospitalised and his friend, Italian Andreas Zini, killed. He's currently out on $US 50,000 bail. In a statement released this afternoon, Avery's representative says:
Roger wishes to publicly convey his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. Words cannot express how sorry he is, and this tragic accident will always haunt him.Screenwriter Avary releases statement on car wreck death [LA Times] [Image]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Grind_Axis
Posted 4:43 AM 15/1/08
And it could've been so easily avoided.
Such a shame.
Grind_Axis
kinghobo
Posted 3:27 AM 15/1/08
damn that guy looks like the kind of dude i keep away from my children....
kinghobo
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
Posted 3:23 AM 15/1/08
@relic1980: I think he was
replying to how your
comments are kinda like this.
It does make what you say
kinda stand out though. xD
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
relic1980
Posted 3:22 AM 15/1/08
@x23: Do you see any rhymes
in that missive?
relic1980
Cruithne
Posted 3:15 AM 15/1/08
He's a dickhead, I've no sympathy for him, may his penalty be harsh.
Oh, and as for the article...
He's alleged to have been having driven under the influence
Dude, if there was a law prohibiting bad syntax, you'd be looking at some serious time.
Cruithne
ethic
Posted 3:08 AM 15/1/08
He helped Tarantino write Pulp Fiction.
ethic
PJK
Posted 3:00 AM 15/1/08
You drink and drive you deserve to go to jail. I've no sympathy for the guy if that's the case. I have sympathy for the poor deceased who had to pay the ultimate price for his friends (alleged) stupiditiy.
PJK
x23
Posted 2:59 AM 15/1/08
@relic1980: is that a poem or something?
x23
Brian Ashcraft
Posted 2:53 AM 15/1/08
@Ludwig:
"Roger Avary In Trouble With The Law" sensational? No, "Roger Avary Kills Best Friend, Puts Wife In Hospital" is sensational. Even if that's apparently the case...
Brian Ashcraft
Ludwig
Posted 2:43 AM 15/1/08
Why is the title towards the "Problems with the Law" ? .. I mean, I know kotaku didn't created the title (seen the news before.) but I believe the fact his friend died and his wife is in the hospital are MUCH more worring than the fact he was drunk/going to jail .. etc .. even himself must be much more worried about his wife and sad about his friend than afraid for his career and freedom.
The title feels sensacionalistic, focusing on trashing "hollywood people" as always.. because people just love it.
Ludwig
explodingman
Posted 2:42 AM 15/1/08
Sad story, this is.
Nobody wins when this sort of thing happens.
Though it is the group's fault for not having a DD. They took their lives into their hands when they let a drunk man drive.
explodingman
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
Posted 2:41 AM 15/1/08
@InsomniaBob: Ah yes...based off that film American History X I assume.
Oh and I just noticed I said Silent Hill "films." There was only one wasn't there...Whoops.
@relic1980: Holy hell man.....Thats an understandable rage... :/
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
relic1980
Posted 2:37 AM 15/1/08
IMO anyone who decides to drink and drive, then
kills someone while under the influence, should
at the very least, rot in jail for the rest of their
lives. I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no sympathy
for drunken bastards who kill while under the
influence. Harsh? Yeah. But then, so is losing
a father of nine and having a brother who was
brain-damaged because someone decided their
good time was more important than the lives they
may take. "Oh, they'll live for the rest of their
lives with the guilt." Right. My father's killer
spent 6 months in jail, then the day he got
out, headed straight for the bar. Like hell
I'll have sympathy.
Sorry to be a bit of a buzzkill here, but
this subject just really hits all my
wrong buttons.
relic1980
InsomniaBob
Posted 2:37 AM 15/1/08
@Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!: I think he's going to be a bit busy with his other project: Jail.
InsomniaBob
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
Posted 2:21 AM 15/1/08
@InsomniaBob: CURSE YOU BEN 10!!!!
Anywho, on topic...ahem.
This is pretty insane. Best wishes to him, and I hope he is capable of recovering from this. I never saw the Silent Hill films but I heard they were okay. (its fair to lower the standards pretty damn low when it comes to horror movies nowadays, unfortunately so) Anyone think he'd be able to handle Wolfenstein?
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
InsomniaBob
Posted 2:12 AM 15/1/08
@Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!: Seriously, why did the Cartoon Network return our script? I just don't get it.
InsomniaBob
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
Posted 2:08 AM 15/1/08
@InsomniaBob: And now, a public service announcement.
*breaks through brick wall*
F_L: AHHH, GOD DAMMIT MY FACE, MY FACE AUUUGH HELL
Guy B: OH DEAR GOD NOT AGAIN!
F_L: Nono, I'm not the same guy ARGH *spits blood* I'm Furious_Liver, here to inform you that bricks are bad.
Guy B: They are? Really?
F_L: Well uh...yeah... *points to friend on floor*
Guy B: Ohhhh...right...
F_L: And plus, look at my face! Looks like I'm really never getting laid now!
Both: Ah haa haa haa haa!
Guy B: Gee, thanks Furious_Liver! I really had no idea. Oh and whats with the underscore? You could just type a space on Kotaku really, you don't need underscores.
F_L: Uh...well uh cause...(picks up a brick and hits guy B in the face with it)
CAPTAAAAAAAAIN PLANET!
Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!
InsomniaBob
Posted 2:01 AM 15/1/08
And now, a public service announcement.
Guy A: Come on, everyone! Let's all meet up at my place for some Guitar Hero!
Guy B: Gee... I dunno, Guy A. You've had a lot to drink.
Guy A: Don't be such a buzzkill, bro! I know my limits!
Guy B: Well... okay!
IB: (bursting out of a brick wall) Hold it right there!
Guy A & B: INSOMNIA BOB!
IB: That's right. I know you probably think you're okay to drive. But are you really sure about that?
Guy A: Well...
IB: (puts a hand on Man A's shoulder) How many PBRs did you suck down tonight, friend?
Guy A: Gee... I'm not sure. Maybe I'm not okay to drive.
IB: That's what I thought. (picks up a brick and hits Guy A in the face with it)
Guy A: Auuugh!
Guy B: Oh... OH MY GOD! (looks up at IB) You've killed him!
IB: ...and knowing is half the battle.
GI JOOOOOOOOE!
InsomniaBob
randomnine
Posted 2:00 AM 15/1/08
Here's a non-subscription site with the AP story, thanks to Google News.
[thestar.com.my]
"Avary, 42, was driving early Sunday when his car spun out of control and hit a telephone pole in California. He was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony drunken driving."
randomnine
mr_dimsum
Posted 1:49 AM 15/1/08
It's scary to know.. But it's true as another poster had mentioned. Most people don't know the severity of the problem until something tragic happens that turns there life around (as well as implicating others).
I for one, have driven impaired a couple times.. One time, with an alcohol level far beyond anything acceptable and can attest that was my last time ever. I regret it, and will never do it again. It's been 2 years strong now.. As a young professional, I acknowledge and am proud that I am against it and did not need to go through such grave matters.
I feel horrible for Roger Avary and hope he learns a lesson in all this. He has lost those beloved to him, and family's as well, have lost a blood relative. A grave story.. I hope this clears him up and that his jail time will bode well, post-tenure.
mr_dimsum
dowingba
Posted 1:48 AM 15/1/08
So is he pleading guilty then? Cause that press release just admitted he did it, and stuff.
dowingba
Witzbold
Posted 1:46 AM 15/1/08
Jesus there is nothing good at all about this news. :x
He must have crashed real bad for his friend to have died.
I would have read the story but its asking me to log in when I click the link.
Ill just do a search via google later.
Witzbold
Saxboy
Posted 1:40 AM 15/1/08
So he sobers up then realizes his wife is in the hospital and his friend is dead, and it's his fault. Then he does the jailtime for it. That's... a real bitch that I wouldn't really wish on anyone. My condolences to the deceased, my best wishes for health to his wife, and my best wishes to him in prison and staying sober once he's out. I'm assuming that his experience is horrible enough that it shouldn't be that hard, but best of luck anyways.
I thought about trying to make a joke but there's really nothing funny about this one.
Saxboy
Plunkett
Posted 1:39 AM 15/1/08
@cmoody17: Because the guys an Italian national in the US for a visit, thats why.
Plunkett
SeeOne
Posted 1:36 AM 15/1/08
"...were it not for the writer's strike..."
WTF?
"...were it not for the drugs in his body whilst he was driving..."
SeeOne
InsomniaBob
Posted 1:35 AM 15/1/08
Hey, give him a break. If you were responsible for unleashing the Silent Hill movie on the masses, you'd drink, too.
InsomniaBob
Shindokie (psn and xbl)
Posted 1:35 AM 15/1/08
I honestly could never understand how people drink and drive. It's common sense that something will go wrong when you mix the two but since it plays with your senses it inflects change The only way that people realize it's wrong is when something like this happens which is honestly sad. Condolences to the family of the lost one.
Shindokie (psn and xbl)
cmoody17
Posted 1:34 AM 15/1/08
Why specifically "Italian Andreas Zini"? Does his being Italian matter?
But that's really a shame for the guy. He'll never live that down his whole life.
cmoody17
fyren
Posted 1:32 AM 15/1/08
Yar... Drinking and driving is bad mmmkay??
fyren
Irenicus-the one and only
Posted 5:13 AM 15/1/08
People who drink and drive are guilty of murder to me as soon as they hit someone or cause someone to die in the traffic.
It ain't like the idiot was not aware of what might happen while driving under the influence, sorry, if you drink and drive you deserve to spend a lifetime in jail. I bet in a week he will drink and drive again, this time without a license...
Irenicus-the one and only
Irenicus-the one and only
Posted 7:04 AM 15/1/08
@kNZA: After you sue him :)
I do hope this guy and other like him gets punished, next time this guy opens his mouth with anything game releated I will make sure to remind him of what he has done.
Irenicus-the one and only
kNZA
Posted 6:58 AM 15/1/08
People treat driving as a triviality these days.
Eating, talking on the phone, shaving, putting on make-up... I've seen people staring into their laps while coasting through a red light!
They blow red lights, they don't signal turns or even look...
It's just sad because one day, one of them is going to hit me (again).
And if he doesn't kill me, I am going to kill him manually.
kNZA
GuardianEarth
Posted 8:08 AM 15/1/08
Well, hopefully they'll get one less idiot off the streets. Pretty sad about the outcome though...
On a side note, I guess this means the Wolfenstein movie will suck even more.
GuardianEarth
Sloopydrew
Posted 11:37 AM 15/1/08
I don't understand why ANYONE would drive drunk (admittedly, as president of Students Against Driving Drunk back in High School -- my only extra curricular activity -- I have a long-term, dyed-in-wool hatred of driving under the influence), but am always even more confused when the rich and famous do it. First, their reputations. It doesn't look good. Second, their real cash money. They have a lot and could hire a driver whenever they'd like. I feel bad for the family of the deceased. I even feel bad for the guilt Roger must be feeling. But, at the same time, if he could afford $50,000 for bail, he could have afforded to hire a fucking driver.
Sloopydrew
etho
Posted 1:29 PM 15/1/08
@TearsandScreams:
When I was in college, I met a handful of drunk drivers. Oddly enough, most of them were twats while sober as well. I never noticed a strong coralation between age and DUI-willingness. I certainly hope people are figuring it out though.
My reaction to such people was generally to steal their keys. Then drop the keys off a bridge.
etho
etho
Posted 1:26 PM 15/1/08
I've always felt that a first offense DUI should be 5 years in jail and permanent revocation of driving priveleges. If you hurt someone because of it, it should be 15 years in jail. And then, the families of the people you hurt should forever have the right to beat you up, though they aren't allowed to kill you.
So, yeah, I guess you'd say I'm pretty opposed to drunk driving.
etho
TearsandScreams
Posted 12:14 PM 15/1/08
Such a stupid pointless way to die. I really hope the drink driving message has been drummed into the younger generations, in my experience most people who do it tend to be 30+ (I'm well aware I'm generalising here).
TearsandScreams
Rohsiph
Posted 7:46 PM 15/1/08
@Irenicus-the one and only: Small problem if you don't sue and try to move on with your life, but then they sue you . . . my first deposition tomorrow afternoon because I decided to exit an intersection that I had legally entered by making a left turn after the light turned red and had my car totaled by someone blowing the light . . .
crazy world . . . on the one hand, the less chaos of a more rational world would make me feel safe; on the other hand, the loss of terror could potentially make me more complacent in my actions. Things are very rarely simple.
Rohsiph
relic1980
Posted 7:03 PM 15/1/08
O@Furious_Liver:TF2 name i_have_fleas. Frag me!:
Oh. Ironically, my columns on my website often look
like that, but in those cases, it's intentional ^_^.
Sorry for my misunderstanding...
relic1980
AxleMunshine
Posted 12:54 PM 16/1/08
I'm not surprised there's often drunk driving incidents in LA. I'm just back from there and it takes ages to go from a neighborhood to the other (where things happen).
I never drink and drive and always take taxis. But I'm from Montreal everything hot is pretty close by. NYC is the same thing. In LA, the night I went to drink, it cost about 80$ in taxi. I was in Santa Monica. Anyway, I rented a car for 3 days and we clocked 140 miles on the meter and barely went out of the city... :o
I suspect people in LA rarely want to part from their cars.
Anyway, it's really a stupid and sad way to die (from drunk driving).
AxleMunshine
JohnnyHundo
Posted 7:32 AM 18/1/08
I strongly disagree with throwing people in jail for a first time offense DUI.
I do agree with strong punishment, but throwing someone who made a mistake (tested the limits?), in jail to rot for 5 years is idiotic. It costs a lot of money to throw someone in jail.
This guy - yes - jail - due to manslaughter - and he's going to lose everything he ever owned due to lawsuits by the "Italian"s family.
A real solution would be to require the installation of a breathalyzer into the persons cars owned - that would be required to be used prior to the car being started. Sure they could rent a car and drive drunk - but after the first offense you have to make it a punishment that is very severe - like no driving privileges again ever.
Enforcement would be tough - but what is really needed is a technology that would tie our driving privileges to the car we are currently driving (like a second "license" key that must be plugged into the car driving that holds your "driving ability" (this should be for everyone) - it would also greatly help with auto theft.
It'd solve a lot of problems and severely discourage both first time and repeat offenders...
Some people will always get around it though - but you would take care of most of the problem.
The main thing is that you don't want to throw everybody in jail. Some people make dumb decisions and learn from them immediately. They change their ways and continue to be a productive part of society. Others are idiots and you can never really help them...
JohnnyHundo