Ryan Dunn, best known for his involvement in the 'Jackass' series, was killed in a car crash early Monday as he sped along a Pennsylvania highway and had exceeded the legal blood alcohol limit.

His car went off the road, jumped a guardrail, and crashed into a tree. His 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 crashed into a wooded area and caught fire.

Pictures posted online on the night before the crash showed Dunn drinking alcohol with few of his friends.

Dunn was drinking heavily at Barnaby's and buying shots of whiskey for the entire bar, according to reports.

According to toxicology testing by the city coroner, Dunn's blood alcohol concentration was 0.196 percent, which is more than twice the legal state limit of 0.08 percent, said Michael Carroll, the West Goshen Police Chief.

The initial crash reconstruction investigation determined that Mr. Dunn's vehicle was traveling between 132-140 mph at the time of the collision, he said.

Speeding is the primary cause of about one-third of all automobile fatalities. In 2009, it was responsible for 10,591 deaths, or 31 percent of total fatalities. In addition to the human costs, high-speed crashes cost the US economy more than $40 billion per year, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said in high-speed crashes, internal restrain systems such as airbags and safety belts become insufficient to protect occupants. The effectiveness of road barriers and crash cushions also diminishes.

A US Census report in 2008 showed that 77 percent of interstate highway fatal crashes happened to vehicles traveling over 55 mph.

Moreover, the IIHS stated that speeding increases the likelihoods of crashes in the first place because it:

1) Increases the distance the vehicle travels from the time the driver detects an emergency to the time the driver reacts

2) Increases the distance the vehicle will keep going after the driver starts to brake

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