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Dave Mirra Found Dead in a Pickup Truck

When I was a little bugger, one of my favorite activities was to play Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX on my next door neighbor’s PC. Other than introducing me to professional BMX riders, the game’s soundtrack introduced me to bands such as Rancid and Sublime. As I was still in primary school, that game opened me up to a whole new world. When I heard the news that Dave was found dead in a pickup truck, I felt a part of me slowly fade away.
Dave Mirra 7 photos
Photo: Dave Mirra on Facebook
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As per the police in Greenville, North Carolina, the authorities responded to an apparent suicide. Upon discovering the lifeless body on Thursday (January 4, 2016), forensics found that Mirra died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In other words, suicide.

41-year-old Dave Mirra is survived by two children and his wife, Lauren. Born on April 4, 1974, Dave’s career began in 1992. Even though he was hit by a drunk driver in 1993, Mirra was still able to compete in the first-ever X Games in 1995. After moving to Greenville, North Carolina (also known as Pro-Town, USA, for the concentration of BMX pros living there), Mirra turned pro and won a grand total of 24 X Games medals.

The most successful X Games competitor until skateboarder Bob Burnquist passed him in 2013, Mirra nabbed a total of 14 gold medals, the final one in 2005. Besides riding, Dave’s other love was rallying. From 2001 to 2013, he competed in the Global RallyCross Championship behind the wheel of a Subaru Impreza GT WRX STI. Even though Dave Mirra never finished in the top three of the drivers’ championship, his rallying effort made him known to an all-new audience outside the BMX riding crowd.

A legend, an icon, and a role model who shaped the world and left his mark, Mirra will be dearly missed by both petrolheads and riders. “He called Greenville, North Carolina home and was as humble a guy talking with kids on a street corner about bikes as he was in his element on the world stage. A young life with so much to offer was taken too soon,” declared Allen Thomas, the Mayor of Greenville.

Rest in peace and have fun riding the great halfpipe in the sky.


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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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