Screenwriter jailed for a year

Following a fatal car crash, the Oscar winner for 'Pulp Fiction'Â…

11:24 30 September 2009

Oscar-winning 'Pulp Fiction' screenwriter Roger Avary has been sentenced to a year in jail after causing a fatal traffic crash in Southern California.

Avary was sentenced Tuesday in a Ventura County court for the act which resulted in the death of his passenger, Andrea Zini. He also received five years of probation.

The Hollywood writer pleaded guilty in August to gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving for a 2008 crash that killed a passenger in Avary's car in Ventura County.

Authorities stated that Avary's Mercedes was traveling at speeds of more than 100 mph when it crashed into a telephone pole.

Avary's wife was ejected from the vehicle and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Avary and notorious filmmaker Quentin Tarantino share the 1995 Academy Award for writing 'Pulp Fiction'. Avary also co-wrote the screenplay for the movie 'Beowulf' and 'The Rules of Attraction'.