Grammy-winning art director and photographer Ian Cuttler Sala died on Sunday in a car crash, according to officials.
Sala was a passenger in the Ford GT driven bySami Hayek, Salma Hayek’s brother. The sports car collided head-on with a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in the Beverly Crest area, as Hayek headed east on Sunset Boulevard, lost control of the car and crossed into the westbound lanes, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Hayek’s passenger “sustained major blunt force trauma to his body” and died on the scene, the police say.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed on Tuesday that Sala, 43, was the passenger. Investigators will examine Sala today to determine cause of death. Sala had been a resident of New York City since 1996. Officials said his parents were flying to Los Angeles from Mexico.
Sala won a Grammy Award in 2006 for best art direction for “Johnny Cash: The Legend” box set music package. He also earned a Grammy nomination for best art direction for “Louis Armstrong: The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings,” among other accolades from HOW, Print, The Color Awards and AIGA.
Sala’s website notes that he became a full-time photographer after nine years with Sony Music, where he created visual campaigns for Beyonce, Ricky Martin, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Julio Iglesias, Marc Anthony and Destiny’s Child. He then shot for clients such as Converse, P&G, Sony BMG, 7UP, Gillette, Axe, Christie’s NY, Lincoln Center and 1961 Denim and Pfizer, and created editorial material for GQ Germany,GQ Mexico, Stern, Max Magazine, Maxim and H Magazine, among others.
As a result of the crash, Hayek suffered several broken ribs and a laceration to his head, while the 20-year-old pickup driver sustained a broken foot and complained of body pain.
- This article first appeared on THR.com