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Top Gun director Tony Scott has fallen to his death from a Los Angeles bridge, Los Angeles County coroner's officials have told US media.
Various US media, including Variety magazine, quoted coroner's officals and port police as saying that the 68-year-old brother of director Ridley Scott fell from the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island about 12.30pm on Sunday local time.
US director Ron Howard tweeted:
No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day — Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) August 20, 2012
Los Angeles County Coroner's Lieutenant Joe Bale said Scott's death was being investigated as a suicide.
"There's nothing to indicate it is anything else at this time," he told CNN.
Several people called 911 around 12.35pm local time to report that someone had jumped from the bridge, according to Los Angeles Police Lieutenant Tim Nordquist.
A dive team with Los Angeles Port Police pulled the body from the murky water several hours later, Nordquist said. Scott's body was taken to a dock in Wilmington and turned over to the county coroner's office.
One lane of the eastbound side of the bridge was closed to traffic during the investigation.
US Coast Guard Lieutenant Jennifer Osburn told the Daily Breeze that a suicide note was found inside Scott's black Toyota Prius, which was parked on one of the eastbound lanes of the bridge.
The two brothers ran Scott Free Productions and were working jointly on a film called Killing Lincoln, based on the best seller by Bill O'Reilly.
Ridley Scott's Prometheus was a summer blockbuster. Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, was one of the highest-grossing films of 1986. He had also been announced as the director for Top Gun 2.
The pair worked together again four years later on the hit Days of Thunder. Scott frequently worked with Denzel Washington, most recently on the 2010 runaway train drama Unstoppable. Scott and Washington collaborated on four other films: Man on Fire, Deja Vu, Crimson Tide and The Taking of Pelham 123.
Tony Scott also served as an executive producer on television series The Good Wife and Numb3rs.
Scott was married to actress Donna Scott. They have twin sons.
more follows
smh.com.au and AP
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