Got it? Try again. His family also helped shield him from reporters. Miraculously, the driver of the Ford, US Navy veteran Donald Turnupseed emerged with just a few facial bruises and a bloody nose. "As a business person, (DonaldTurnupseed) learned from his dad. at the very same intersection where the accident occurred. "You could never get close to Don," he said. When he reached the Route 41 junction, he went to take a left turn - not noticing the small silver Porsche headed in the opposite direction. "Budgie" Sturgeon, a partner in Spuhler and Sturgeon Insurance,which had a policy on Turnupseed's Ford. However, parts of the original can still be found. 23F, a 1954 Porsche Speedster. As the two cars converged on to the junction, the Ford veered over the centerline to turn left. The truck driver was mostly unharmed, with just a few superficial cuts and bumps. The Spyder struck the Ford. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Donald Turnupseed (10990655)? Dr. Eschrich had loaned Dr. McHenry the transmission and several other parts from James Deans deathcar. No one was injured. Sure, it'scircumstantial evidence, but it works pretty well to show how Dean wasinclined to be driving that night. Shell do a hundred and fifty, replied Dean. The Ford suddenly began to turn left to head northwest on 41. The James Dean Memorial in Cholame - Discover Central California Police pulled over the convoy and issued a pair of speeding tickets just outside Bakersfield. Dean and Wtherich weren't as lucky as Turnupseed. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? https://deadwrite.wordpress.com/tag/donald-turnupseed/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_James_Dean, THE BARRIS STUFF | Page 3 | The H.A.M.B. Help us keep history alive. Should dogs put their heads out car windows? WhileMr Turnupseed walked away from the wreckage with only a bloodied nose and bruising, Dean suffered a broken neck and died shortly after being rushed to hospital. Cars and trucks speed by in both directions and anything short of a cautious drive by is not recommended. His mechanic Rolf Wutherich, who was in the passenger seat, was flung from the car and sustained serious injured. Also on display in the museum are an assortment of Abraham Lincoln relics (a lock of his hair, the handles from his coffin, various bloodstained cloth and one of the coins purportedly placed on the dead Presidents eyes) as well as the Bonnie & Clyde, Flintstones, Back to the Future Movie cars and George Barris Batmobile. Exponent -- which is really very good at this sort of thing-- found that Dean was not speeding at the time of the crash, andprovided ample evidence to back its claim. How fast is it? he asked. One shot is of Turnupseed's wrecked Ford Tudor sedan, which collided with Dean's car almost head-on; the other two show the shattered remains of Dean's 1955 Porsche . As I remember the Highway 41/46 junction, > Turnipseed had the right of way on Highway 41 with Dean approaching > eastbound on Highway 46 controlled by an arterial stop sign. Wtherich suffered a broken jaw and serious hip and femur injuries, but survived. I googled the situation and found dozens of arguments/privateinvestigations of the accident, so I know that the InsuranceCompany and California Highway Patrol also recognized there weretoo many factors too fuzzy from which to glean conclusions. (Unless the production designer for THE GREEN BERETS was somehow involved.). It was a very, very odd, spooky experience. Everything We Know, Pax Jolie-Pitt Shops for Groceries During Rare Solo Outing, Tom Sandoval Cheated on Ariana Madix With Raquel Leviss for 6 Months, Inside 90 Day Fiance Stars Molly Hopkins and Kelly Browns Split, Prince Harry Doesnt See Himself As a Victim: His Spare Claims, 'Disney World' Prices: Times When Meri Browns Inn Retreats Got Slammed, Stars Who Died in 2023: Honoring the Celebrities We Lost This Year, 90 Days Yara Shares Before, After Photos of Breast Augmentation Surgery. Unfortunately, Turnupseed had already started to make his turn before he saw the Porsche traveling quickly toward him. Don't even get me started on cellphones being used while driving. James Dean dies in car accident - HISTORY At 5:45 PM on September 30, 1955, Donald Turnupseed was headed east on Route 466 in his 1950 Ford. Dean was the unwilling recipient of a steering wheel and dash, while his luckier passenger was ejected from the car. We were toured around the community by a couple of older gentlemen who graciously pointed out spots the young actor frequented including the family farm, Deans old high school, a few of the old stores Dean used to frequent, the cemetery and the funeral home where Dean was prepared for burial. There was an error deleting this problem. Archive obit: Donald Turnupseed (he killed James Dean) - Google Groups Just to amplyfy my post. When the mangled frame was found to be beyond recovery, Barris chose to capitalize on the cars notoriety. I remember the night when Dad> reported the news at home. But James Dean, America's rebel without a cause, would suffer fatal injuries, including a near decapitation. What was the reaction to James Deans death? based on information from your browser. Next Week-PART II of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Curse of James Dean. Biography . It can easily be missed unless you know its there. The Death of James Dean in a Car Accident - Reel Reviews James Dean received a speeding ticket on Highway 99 about a hour before thiswreck. So, likely to protect his investment and reputation, Barris promoted the curse by placing the wreck on public display. Dean was in route to a race inSalinas. Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Curse of James Dean. It is not known exactly how Barris knew Eschrich, but in late-1956, Barris announced that he would rebuild the Porsche. Guinness, exhausted after a long flight from Copenhagen, was having dinner with Thelma Moss, an actress and screenwriter. As they approached the intersection, an unsuspecting student, Donald Turnupseed, drove back home in his Ford Tudor. James Dean Car's The Little Bastard | by Neo Natsu - Medium A system error has occurred. . , updated (FA is now known as Exponent, Inc., hence the domain name.). As he began to turn left through an intersection, Dean, probably unable to stop, slammed into the passenger side of Turnupseed's truck. Jayne Mansfield. The insurance company, through a salvage yard in Burbank, sold the Spyder to a Dr. William F. Eschrich, a driver who had competed against Dean in his own sports car at three races in 1955. Learn more about merges. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. In Touch Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. The impact sent the Ford almost 40 feet down the road and ejected Wtherich from the Porsche. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. From the Archives: Film Star James Dean Killed in Auto Crash With theaid of his late parents, Harley and Ruth Turnupseed, the Portervillenative built an electrical contracting business with commercial clientsacross the San Joaquin Valley and the central coast. "MGW" wrote in message news:nh1sj19i16jkosg2o@4ax.com http://www.snopes.com/autos/cursed/spyder.asp. Hickman, following the Spyder in Deans Ford woodie station wagon pulling the trailer, was also ticketed for driving 20 mph over the limit, as the speed limit for all vehicles towing a trailer was 45 mph. 85mph. A road sign rises from the median between the converging lanes ominously proclaiming it as James Dean Memorial Junction. 131, A charged debate: Battery maintenance tech explained. Make sure that the file is a photo. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Eschrich then raced the Porsche-powered Lotus, which he called a Potus, at seven California Sports Car Club events during 1956. It was later determined that Donald Turnupseed was at fault, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, but no one was held responsible for the collision. Another 38 were killed from 2000 to 2010. Turnupseed received a gashed forehead and bruised nose and was not cited by police for the accident. . DebThe national Geographic Channel is doing a special on the James Dean accident coming up at 5:00PM EST..Just thought you might be interested.Shirley. It is a small chunk of aluminum, a few square inches in size, that was allegedly pried off and stolen from an area near the broken windscreen while the Spyder was being stored in the Cholame Garage after the crash. Guinness didnt know Dean (by this time, of Deans three movies, only East of Eden had been released) but Dean sure knew Guinness. More by Drew Dorian, Your email address will not be published. Thanks, Shirley! One thing is certain though, the crash that killed the rising Hoosier movie star succeeded in cementing his status as a legend. In Dean's passenger . All true. Dean became a cultural icon following his starring role as troubled teenager Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). A March 12, 1959 wire service story reported that the deathcar, temporarily stored in a garage at 3158 Hamilton Avenue in Fresno, caught fire awaiting display as a safety exhibit in a coming sports and custom automobile show. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Mark Gordon arrives at Crawley Police Station after remains found, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. > As you said, it was dusk when the accident happened to Dean, so > headlights would have helped him. The car was smashed up when Donald crashed with James Dean in his Porsche. All the Celebrity Couples Who Broke Up in 2023, 'Vanderpump Rules' Stars Who Split: All the Couples Who Broke Up, LPBW Stars Love to Swim! at Beverly Glen Blvd. There you will see the lipstick spotted grave marker covered by more kisses than the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Try again later. Jack Elsom For Mailonline, Tearful moment couple is surprised halfway through their wedding by the man whoreceived their 11-year-old son's donated heart and they're able to listen to it beating in his chest for the first time in seven years, Was speeding Tesla driving in autopilot when it ran a red light and killed a pedestrian? Parking and walking over to the spot where James Dean died is a dangerous exercise on this remote, but very busy highway. However, contrary to popular belief, this is not the actual intersection where the accident occurred. which has been redone several times in the last 50 years.