50th Anniversary of the Death of James Dean In A Car-Truck Crash
Posted by
Bob CarrollSeptember 30, 2005 4:53 AMWe pay our respects to a 24 year old actor and legend who was tragically killed in a car-truck accident on September 30 1955. Dean was headed to Paso Robles. Donald Turnupseed, driving a Ford pickup truck, tried to make a left turn off Highway 41. The promising future of James Dean makes his death particulaly tragic, but all of us have a future we should not risk on the assumption that the other fellow will stop.
"Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"With that quote we will pay our respects to a 24 year old actor and legend who was tragically killed in a car accident on September 30 1955." Posted at Chuck's Weird World. The touching article includes some impressive photos with its excellent narrative..
To the quote of James Dean I would add, "Drive as if you want to see tomorrow."
"The Facts: James Dean was driving his Posche Spyder to a race in Salinas, California. It was September 30, 1955. At 3:30 that afternoon, Dean had received a speeding ticket for going 65 in a 45 mile zone. A few minutes after dusk, and Dean and Rolf Wutherich, his friend and mechanic, were headed to Paso Robles to spend the night before the race. Donald Turnupseed, driving a Ford pickup truck, tried to make a left turn off Highway 41, north onto Highway 466."
"Just before the impact, Dean remarked to Wutherich that the other vehicle was bound to see them, that it had to stop. It did not stop. The autopsy said James Dean died of a broken neck and other injuries, either immediately or shortly after being extricated from the Porsche. Wutherich was thrown clear but badly injured. Turnupseed had only minor injuries."
"At this time of year at 5 pm, every year people stand at the intersection and see what Dean couldn't, the portion of the road he was traveling on is completely blind to a person making a left onto it because to the position of the sun, the guy never saw him coming..."
The promising future of James Dean makes his death particulaly tragic, but all of us have a future we should not risk on the assumption that the other fellow will stop.