Vince Zampella drove an 830 hp model on a highway known for dangerous curves; collision ends trajectory of gaming industry icon
Executive Vince Zampella, 55, co-founder of the “Call of Duty” franchise and one of the central figures of Electronic Arts (EA), has died after a car accident in California. Zampella was driving a Ferrari 296 GTS on the Angeles Crest Highway when he lost control of the vehicle. The collision, followed by fire, was recorded on video by witnesses and resulted in the death of the developer and a passenger.
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The Angeles Crest Highway is a mountain highway known for both its landscape and the high rate of accidents involving sports vehicles. According to preliminary reports and images released, the accident occurred at the exit of a tunnel. Speeding would have compromised the tangency on a sharp turn, leading the vehicle to collide head-on with a concrete retaining wall.
The model involved, a Ferrari 296 GTS, is a plug-in hybrid super sports car that combines a twin-turbo V6 engine with an electric motor, delivering a combined power of 830 hp. The video highlights the difficulty of traction control at the time of exit from the tunnel, a critical situation for rear-wheel drive vehicles with instant torque. After the impact, the car was consumed by flames, making it difficult to immediately rescue the victims, who did not resist their injuries despite initial care.
Zampella’s death directly impacts the creative structure of Electronic Arts. In addition to being instrumental in the creation of “Call of Duty” at Infinity Ward, he founded Respawn Entertainment, the studio responsible for critical and public successes such as “Titanfall”, “Apex Legends” and the recent “Star Wars Jedi” saga.
In recent years, Zampella had taken on a broader oversight role within EA, being considered the “architect” of the company’s major action franchises. The accident again raises discussions about the safety of supercars on public roads and the risks associated with high-performance driving on winding highways open to ordinary traffic.
