Trial to start in crash that killed mixed martial arts figure Charlie ‘Mask’ Lewis

When Charles “Mask� Lewis crashed his red Ferrari and died on a Newport Beach street last year, it left his fans stunned. The 48-year-old was a major force in the mixed martial arts world, sponsoring matches and setting the sport’s fashion trends with his TapouT clothing line.

The skid marks swerving right on southbound Jamboree Road north of Bison Avenue showed where Lewis’ Ferrari headed: straight into a concrete light pole. The crash split the car in half, throwing a female passenger onto a dirt embankment, breaking her elbow. In the months that followed, TapouT posters, clothing and candles remained at the crash site.

Now, 20 months after the crash, the man who prosecutors say was drunk behind the wheel of his own sports car and hit Lewis’ Ferrari, causing the crash, is headed for trial Monday at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Prosecutors contend that Jeffrey David Kirby, 53, was speeding south on Jamboree in his 1977 Porsche about 1 a.m. March 11, 2009, next to Lewis, 45. Kirby lost control of his car and swerved into Lewis’ Ferrari, sending him into the light pole.

When police checked Kirby’s blood-alcohol level two hours after the crash, it measured 0.13%, above the 0.08% legal limit, prosecutors said. Kirby had a 2002 conviction for driving under the influence.

Authorities allege that after the collision, Kirby stopped briefly, then sped away and parked down the road and tried to walk away.

A Newport Beach police officer heading north on Jamboree saw Lewis’ car hit the light pole and stopped to help. Other officers responding to the crash found Kirby and a female passenger on foot a short distance from the Porsche.

Kirby’s defense attorney, Mark Fredrick, said his client was not speeding that night, nor was he driving next to Lewis.

He said that Lewis’ Ferrari was stopped at a red light at the bottom of the hill at Eastbluff Drive when Kirby drove past, going up the hill.

Kirby said he saw Lewis in his rearview mirror quickly approaching from behind and tried to swerve out of the way.

Lewis steered right to pass Kirby but was struck by Kirby’s Porsche, Fredrick said.

“It’s a tragic case. Lewis by all accounts was a really good guy,� Fredrick said.

Kirby is charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and driving under the influence and causing great bodily injury with sentencing enhancements for allegedly fleeing the scene and injuring multiple people.

The trial is scheduled to start Tuesday.

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