Oscar-winning screenwriter Roger Avary has been sentenced to a year in jail for causing a car crash that killed a passenger and injured Avary’s wife in Ojai.

The co-writer of hits such as “Pulp Fiction” and “Beowulf” pleaded guilty in August to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and other charges stemming from the Jan. 13, 2008, crash.

Avary, 44, was at the wheel of a Mercedes sedan that was traveling at more than 100 mph when it crashed into a telephone pole, according to investigators.

Passenger Andreas Zini, 34, was killed, and Avary’s wife, Gretchen, was ejected from the vehicle and suffered serious injuries. Zini and his wife, both of Italy, were visiting the Avarys on their honeymoon, authorities said.


Avary and co-writer Quentin Tarantino won an Academy Award for 1994’s “Pulp Fiction.” Avary also co-wrote the screenplay for 2007’s fantasy hit “Beowulf.”

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alexandra.zavis@latimes.com