Teen dies in "Jackass" stunt

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A teenager died while practicing what police say was a stunt he and a friend had seen in the movie Jackass.Stephen Paul Rauen, 15, was ejected from the top of a friend's car Monday after he'd jumped onto the hood, Albuquerque Police spokesman Jeff Arbogast said. When the driver hit the brakes, Rauen hit the pavement, then was run over and dragged a short distance. "We had reports the individuals had done it before," Arbogast said. Police interviewed the driver Monday evening, but Arbogast said it was too early to say whether criminal charges would be filed. Jackass: The Movie, which opened in October, is based on the MTV show of the same name. Creator Johnny Knoxville has said the goal of his kamikaze comedy is to make people laugh, and he has no message besides, "Don't try this at home." Comic bits in the movie range from running around naked in public and Candid Camera-style pranks to injuries and gross-out antics. The film is rated R for "dangerous, sometimes extremely crude stunts, language and nudity," according to the Motion Picture Association of America. The TV show, which still airs in late-night reruns, drew criticism that it encouraged dangerous behavior. After Knoxville wore a fireproof suit and allowed himself to be set ablaze and "roasted" on a grill, a few imitators were severely burned when they defied the show's disclaimers and performed their own variations on the stunt in 2001. Just last week, a 13-year-old Indiana boy died and five other teens were injured after the van they were traveling in hurtled off a railroad track at more than 70 mph, crashed into a parked car and slid 400 feet. Authorities, who found a camcorder and video cassette near the van with scenes from the show, believe the accident may have been an attempt to a recreate one of the show's stunts. The movie and the television show repeatedly run disclaimers, urging viewers not to imitate the antics.