Bam Margera Pays Tribute to Late Ryan Dunn On Posthumous 45th Birthday

It has been almost 11 years since Ryan Dunn died in a tragic – and completely avoidable – car crash, and Bam Margera is taking a moment to pay tribute to his late best friend.

42-year-old Margera may be at odds with the "Jackass" crew now, but in the early days of the franchise, he and Ryan Dunn were the go-to guys for some of the show's most memorable pranks and stunts. Dunn also appeared as a series regular in Margera's popular spinoff show, "Viva La Bam."

On what would have been Dunn's 45th birthday, Margera took to Instagram with a message that makes it clear the emotional damage of losing his best friend is still real and raw.

"A best friend is hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget. Happy Birthday Ryan," Margera wrote alongside some candid photos of the two during their formative years.

Bam's post was liked by thousands of fans, with many dropping a message about either knowing Ryan Dunn personally or growing up a fan of the "Jackass" star.

"Moments like this beautifully showcased the friendship that these two shared. I will never forget how infections their laughs were in this particular scene. Long live Ryan Dunn aka The Random Hero," one IG user wrote.

Ryan Dunn died June 20, 2011, in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania when he crashed his Porsche 911 GT3 into a tree at a high rate of speed – killing both himself and 29-year-old Zach Hartwell, who was a PA on the "Jackass" movie that was being filmed at the time.

The Porsche instantly burst into flames, and Dunn was identified by his tattoos after his body was pulled from the wreckage. It was later revealed that alcohol played a factor in the crash, as Dunn was spotted at a local bar with multiple drinks hours before getting behind the wheel. It was later determined his blood alcohol was twice the legal limit.

Everyone in the "Jackass" community was devastated over the death of Ryan Dunn, but none more than Bam, who actually raced to the scene from Arizona as soon as he heard the news.

In a YouTube video that ended up going viral, a devastated Bam could be seen at the crash site. He was also interviewed by local reporters and explained how he heard about Dunn's death.

"I was in Arizona when I heard. I was with some friends having the best time ever and... at 12:30 I just started punching out the windows of the rental van and ripping out the speakers," Bam said through tears.

He added, "I don't even know why. I wasn't mad at anything or anybody. And if it was 12.30 there that means it was exactly when he crashed."

Bam later said that Ryan Dunn's death was one of the factors to help "wake" him up and put him on an eventual path to get sober and stay healthy.