Mat George, a popular Twitter personality who cohosted the podcast She Rates Dogs, died after an early-Saturday hit-and-run crash in Los Angeles. George was 26 years old.
The LAPD said the incident occurred around 2:20 a.m. when a white BMW hit a pedestrian in an unmarked crosswalk without stopping. The BMW then fled, and the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police did not identify the pedestrian in their statement, but George's podcast cohost, Michaela Okland, confirmed his death in a tweet.
"I would rather you guys here this from me than a news article. Mat was killed in a hit and run last night," Okland tweeted. "I don’t really have any other words right now."
I would rather you guys here this from me than a news article. Mat was killed in a hit and run last night. I don’t really have any other words right now. I wish I could contact everybody who knows him personally but the news is already out and I just can’t do it right now
George and Okland spoke about relationships and pop culture on their podcast, which grew from the Twitter account of the same name that posts anonymous screenshots of messages with terrible exes. George also regularly went viral with jokes on his personal Twitter account.
I’ve been in LA for a year and haven’t seen a single celebrity. My mom comes for a weekend and meets Snoop Dogg
Fans of the podcast and George's Twitter account were shocked by the news and tweeted about his content's effect on their lives.
"i didn’t know him but i read his tweets every day, his content was a part of my routine," one person tweeted. "i can’t believe shit like this is real and happens to people that i interact with daily. RIP Mat George:(."
On the podcast's Twitter account, Okland told their fans that she and George had recorded one more episode that was supposed to come out next week, but it will likely be put on hold.
"I know in years to come I’ll feel so lucky that there’s so many recordings of Mat’s laugh to revisit," she tweeted. "I think you all knew within 10 seconds of listening to him how vibrant, loving, accepting, and wonderful Mat George is. This community made him so happy. Your words and support made him so happy. Thanks for talking about him."
In an interview with Shoutout Arizona last year, George said he wanted to make LGBTQ people feel connected.
"Growing up and being in the closet, I never knew anyone or heard about anyone who had similar experiences and fears that I had. My hopes for my Twitter account and SheRatesDogs the Podcast is to share my stories and make LGBTQ+ people all across the world feel like they’re not alone," George said. "The most rewarding moments are when members of the LGBTQ+ community reach out to me and tell me what a difference I’ve made in their lives."
The LAPD is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone who offers information that leads to the identification of the driver.
Correction: Michaela Okland's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this post.