Crime & Safety
Man Convicted in Crash That Killed 'Mask'
Jeffrey David Kirby, 53, could get 13 years in state prison when he is sentenced Feb. 4.
A Costa Mesa man on Wednesday was convicted of causing a crash that killed mixed-martial-arts clothing entrepreneur Charles ''Mask'' Lewis, City News Service reported.
Jeffrey David Kirby, 53, was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter for causing the March 11, 2009, crash in Newport Beach. He faces up to 13 years in prison at his Feb. 4 sentencing, according to the district attorney's office.
Jurors began deliberating Tuesday afternoon and deliberated for about a half-day Wednesday before reaching a verdict.
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Authorities say Kirby was drunk and speeding down Jamboree Road in his 1977 Porsche alongside a 2004 Ferrari driven by Lewis, a Huntington Beach resident. Kirby lost control of his car and crashed into Lewis' vehicle, according to a statement from the district attorney's office. Lewis then lost control of the Ferrari, which crashed into concrete light post and was torn in half.
Lewis, a pioneer in mixed martial arts, which combines jujitsu, wrestling and martial arts, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in his car, Lacy Lynn White, 23, was thrown from the car and landed in a nearby dirt embankment. She was taken to Western Medical Center and treated for a fractured elbow, lacerations and abrasions, the D.A.'s office said.
Following the accident, according to authorities, Kirby stopped briefly, then fled soon after parking on Bison Avenue, where a Newport beach police officer responding to the accident arrested him. Authorities said Kirby had a .13 percent blood-alcohol level two hours after the crash. The legal limit in the state is .08 percent. A passenger in Kirby's car, Lynn Marie Nabozny, 32, was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication and later released.
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