A YouTuber died on his 25th birthday after a well-known tattoo artist and reality TV star crashed the car they were riding in while speeding in a Los Angeles neighborhood, police said.
On Sunday night, Corey La Barrie, a vlogger who has more than 340,000 subscribers on YouTube and thousands more on Instagram, died after Ink Master star Daniel Silva crashed a new McLaren sports car into a stop sign and a tree, detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division told BuzzFeed News.
Silva was booked on a murder charge Monday after being treated for his injuries, according to online booking records and officials.
The tattoo artist was speeding down Huston Street in Valley Village when he "lost control" of the car due to his "high rate of speed" and veered off the road, police said. The 27-year-old driver exited the car and attempted to leave the scene, but he was stopped by citizens who came to render aid, Detective Arvin Buenaventura told BuzzFeed News. No other cars were involved in the crash.
The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived on the scene and took Silva and his 25-year-old passenger, a resident of Valley Village, to the hospital. The passenger died from his injuries.
When asked what caused the crash, police said it was due to speed and would not say whether the driver had been drinking.
Police would also not confirm the identity of the man who died, but La Barrie's family members posted about his death on Monday.
Lissa Harrison, his mother, said on Instagram that her son "was very drunk and got into a car with a drunk diver."
"No words can describe the sadness I feel in [losing] a child. It just feels so unreal and I’m overwhelmed with grief," she wrote. "I love you so much Corey and will miss you so so much. It’s just so unfair."
La Barrie's brother, Jarrad, also alleged that alcohol was a factor in the accident, writing on Instagram: "Corey passed away last night in a car accident with his drunk friend driving... This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do i don't how I’m suppose to do this without you i miss you so much already this isn’t fair thank you for always being the best big brother i could ask for i love you so fucking much life’s never gonna be the same without you R.I.P❤️ P.S say hi to grandad and grandma for me i love you."
La Barrie's mother and brother did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News.
Earlier that day, the YouTuber had been livestreaming his birthday celebration on Twitch with friends. The 25-year-old was raising money for a new computer, according to the stream, while dancing and drinking champagne.
The content creator mostly posted videos of himself and his friends joking around. In one of his most recent YouTube episodes, La Barrie had his roommates "transform" his quarantine hair and beard. The YouTuber lived with several other social media stars in the "C4 House" in LA.
The last message he wrote on Twitter was thanking people for the birthday wishes. It's gone viral, with thousands of users leaving comments like "Corey, please let this be a joke."
Fellow YouTubers and fan also expressed their disbelief and sadness across social media, recalling how much joy and laughter La Barrie brought to their lives.
"You were such a bright spirit and a beautiful soul," Carter Reynolds, another well-known content creator, wrote on Twitter. "PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE."
I can’t believe I’m saying this right now... I feel like I’m in a bad dream... Rest In Peace @coreylabarrie. You were such a bright spirit and a beautiful soul. You’ll be missed brother 😔💔
corey la barrie, thank you for everything you have done for us. thank you for giving me the best friends i could ever ask for. thank you for making me the happiest when i needed to. thank you. simply thank you. i love you so much. fly high 🕊💙
@coreylabarrie you made laugh literally for most dumbest and random reasons. you had a soul like no other, I’ll love and miss always. my heart is broken.
Lauren Strapagiel contributed reporting to this story.