Denver man chokes to death on 'Tex-Ass' donut

It’s hard to stomach, but it’s true: A Colorado man died evidently trying to wolf down a "Tex-Ass" donut.

As recapped April 4 by Austin American-Statesman restaurant critic Matthew Odam, Travis Malouff died from "asphyxia, due to obstruction of the airway" early April 2 at the Voodoo Doughnut store in Denver.

The Denver Post reported that firefighters responded to Voodoo Doughnut at 1:10 a.m. that day. A department spokesman told the newspaper he couldn’t discuss the incident further.

Odam cited a news report from NBC affiliate KUSA-Channel 9 News in Denver stating that Malouff, 42, was attempting to fulfill Voodoo’s challenge to eat its giant Tex-Ass doughnut in 80 seconds or less when he started choking; bystanders reportedly attempted the Heimlich maneuver to no avail.

The station quoted a witness, Julia Edelstein, saying: "It’s too much food for one person, even as the size that he was. That’s too much for someone to eat. He was trying to force it down." According to an undated post on a website devoted to food challenges, the Tex-Ass confection weighs around half a pound and has a seven-inch diameter; it’s a little over 1.6-inches thick.

Odam elaborated:

"The challenge from the colorful and subversive Portland-based doughnut mini-chain has garnered attention online and was offered at their stores in the Pacific Northwest and Denver. A shift manager at the East Sixth Street location in Austin said the challenge was briefly offered when the shop opened in October 2015 but was cancelled due to lack of interest."

Voodoo management, reached by the Willamette Weekly in Portland, responded: "Our hearts go out to the Malouff family during this very difficult time.  While this matter is under investigation, we believe it would be inappropriate to comment further."

An April 4 Denver Post news story said Voodoo Doughnut "has suspended its eating challenge at seven locations across the nation and in Taiwan."