Why Did Roger Avary Go to Jail? 'Pulp Fiction' Writer Explains Events to Joe Rogan

There was a time when Roger Avary was considered one of the brightest up-and-coming writers in Hollywood. Alongside Quentin Tarantino, he helped bring cult classic Pulp Fiction to life and spawned a generation of fans of the gritty, dark genre embodied by the movie.

Then suddenly one day, he was headed to jail and all his plans went up in flames. So what happened? Here's what we know about why Roger Avary went to jail, and what he had to say about the experience to podcast host Joe Rogan and his friend Quentin.

On Jan. 14, 2008, Roger was arrested for driving drunk. But the accident that sent him to prison turned out to be far more impactful than a simple swerve into a ditch. What happened that night left Roger's life changed forever.

Authorities say that Roger was driving at speeds of around 100 mph when he drove his Mercedes into a telephone pole. The crash killed his 34-year-old passenger, Andreas Zini. Roger's wife was thrown from the vehicle and suffered serious injuries.

He pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.

Roger was ultimately sentenced to one year in prison and five years of probation.

While speaking to the court, a shaken Roger shared, "It has profoundly altered me to the very core of my being."

It has been 16 years since the fateful accident that killed Andreas, injured Roger's wife, and sent the promising writer to prison, but he hasn't forgotten it. While speaking with podcaster Joe Rogan and his friend and colleague Quentin Tarantino in mid-December 2024, Roger opened up about the experience.

He recalled, "I was driving home that night … It was dark and I was speeding … I lost control of the vehicle. I think my tire blew but I was going into a ditch and I knew I was going into this deep ditch because it was right near my house full of rocks ... I knew if I go in there we will die so … There was a telephone pole and I hit the telephone pole. My passenger took the impact and my wife was thrown from the car.”

Roger, who also faced a $4.1 million civil lawsuit from Andreas's family, expressed remorse and regret while speaking with Joe and Quentin.

He also explained that jail is a profoundly altering experience. "Suddenly you find yourself in jail, and everything is gone. Career is gone. Everybody stops calling. It's over."

He continued, "I found myself alone in jail ... With my remorse, and regret, and really getting existential about things. Really coming to appreciate simple existence is the best thing there is."

While he said he would change what happened if he could, he also attributed an awakening in his life to what he went through.

The full podcast can be found on Joe Rogan's YouTube channel.