Co-founder of British film and animation studio Factory Fifteen, Jonathan Gales, passed away in a tragic car collision last month. Read on to learn how did film director Jonathan Gales die, what happened to him, and what was the cause of his untimely death.
Gales was a BAFTA award-winning film director and father of a one-year-old son. He was the creative director behind BBC’s trailer for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Who was Jonathan Gales?
Jonathan Gales was a BAFTA-award-winning animation and visual effects director. He was born in Jersey in 1986. He went to St. Christopher’s School and Victoria College before going to the University of Brighton to study architecture.
Gales co-founded the British film and animation studio Factory Fifteen along with his The Bartlett School of Architecture mates, Paul Nicholls and Kibwe Tavares. He was also the creative director behind BBC’s BAFTA-winning trailer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Gales’ graduation project, was published on Dezeen in 2012 and it created a striking vision of a dystopian future in London. He was a truly artistic man with a vision that is hard to find in this world.
How did Jonathan Gales die?
Jonathan Gales died after getting hit by a car driven by an allegedly drunk driver on November 18, 2022. He was just 36 years old at the time of the tragic incident. He was one of the two pedestrians hit by the driver in downtown Los Angeles.
The unfortunate news of Gales’ death was announced by his partners and co-founders of Factory Fifteen, Paul Nicholls and Kibwe Tavares. They wrote the following in an emotional social media post:
“We genuinely feel that we have lost a part of who we are.
“We loved working with Jono, who approached both his job and his hobbies with unbounded curiosity, enjoying the research, the process and the mastery as much as the completed project.
“Working proactively and without ego, he provided a steadfast creative partner to us both.”
Jonathan Gales was Killed in a Car Collision
Jonathan Gales was killed in a freak car collision. He was walking on the sideway in downtown Los Angeles when a drunk driver driving the wrong way down a one-way street at high speed hit him. Another pedestrian was hit along with Gales.
The people injured in the car collision were rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, Jonathan Gales was pronounced dead upon arrival at the age of 36. The autopsy reports confirmed that Gales was fatally struck and died of his injuries sustained in the accident.
Viral footage from the scene of the crash shows two mangled cars facing each other in the middle of the street.
Who killed Jonathan Gales?
Film director Jonathan Gales was killed after getting hit by a car in downtown Los Angeles on November 18, 2022. The car that hit Gales was driven by 39-year-old Joseph Hansen Madarang. He tried escaping the scene after hitting Gales at high speed.
Madarang was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in connection with the crash. His bail was reportedly set at $130,000.
Tributes Appear online for Jonathan Gales
Following his untimely and tragic demise, tributes have appeared online for Jonathan Gales who was an amazing man.
“I remember his smile, his intelligence; he impressed everyone so quickly,” said Mamou-Mani, a London-based architect.
An obituary for Jonathan Gales was posted online on November 24, 2022.
“He was a caring, thoughtful and loving husband and father, a bubbly personality with a fascination for world culture,” states the obituary.
Gales leaves behind his wife Claire Pepper and his 23-months old son Finley Pepper Gales. The couple was expecting their second child but their story had a sad ending.
Our heart goes out to his loved ones. May God provide them strength and let the departed soul rest in peace.