06-30-2009, 12:14 AM
Quote:
Billy Mays, the burly, boisterous pitchman known for selling products such as OxiClean and Orange Glo, has died at the age of 50.
Tampa police report Maysââ¬â¢ wife found him unresponsive Sunday morning. A fire rescue crew arrived but pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m., reports The Associated Press.
While it is unclear how he died, the pop culture icon was hit on the head during a rough landing while on an airplane, Maysââ¬â¢ wife told investigators, and didnââ¬â¢t feel well when before he went to bed that night.
Mays was among the passengers on a flight that landed roughly Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport, U.S. Airways confirmed. The landing left debris on the runway after reportedly blowing its front tires.
A Tampa Bay television station interviewed Mays after the incident.
ââ¬ÅAll of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping,ââ¬Â Mays told MyFox. ââ¬ÅIt hit me on the head, but I got a hard head.ââ¬Â
The coronerââ¬â¢s office expect to have an autopsy done by this afternoon.
ââ¬ÅAlthough Billy lived a public life, we donââ¬â¢t anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days,ââ¬Â Deborah Mays said in a statement. ââ¬ÅOur family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times.ââ¬Â
denette@tvguide.ca