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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. 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. The cause of the crash remained under collision.
"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.
"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.
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