Vince Zampella, a video game developer who co-created or directed some of the world's most popular franchises, died in a car crash on a Los Angeles freeway at 12:45 pm PT on Sunday, December 21. He was 55 years old.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Zampella was in a car on Angeles Crest Highway when the car went off the road and crashed into a concrete barrier. No other vehicles were reported involved in the accident.
A passenger was ejected from the vehicle and the driver was trapped inside after the vehicle caught fire. The driver died on the spot, the passenger died after being taken to the hospital. The report does not indicate whether Zampella was the passenger or driver.
Angeles Crest Highway is a scenic road beneath the San Gabriel Mountains in East Los Angeles that is commonly used for Sunday leisure travel. The accident involved a 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS.
Legendary career in game development
Early in his career, Zampella worked at SegaSoft and Panasonic, and was also the lead designer on the influential World War II shooter. Medal of Honor: Allied Attackwhich came out in 2002. But it was the famous studio Infinity Ward that made him a household name for gamers. In 2002, he founded Infinity Ward with Jason West and Grant Collier.
