James Dean killed at age 24 in Cholame, California on Sept. 30, 1955
Modified Date:
Mon, 08/11/2014 - 6:33pmAccident Date:
Friday, September 30, 1955
Wikipedia: James Dean
James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager Jim Stark. The other two roles that defined his stardom were loner Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955) and surly ranch hand Jett Rink in Giant (1956). Dean's enduring fame and popularity rest on his performances in only these three films, all leading roles.
Revealed: the truth behind the crash that killed James Dean
For James Dean fans it has been the ultimate unsolved riddle. Just who was behind the wheel the day the actor, only 24, died?
For 50 years, since his death in a car crash on September 30, 1955, Dean has been portrayed as a daredevil driver whose speeding and recklessness on the road caused his own death.
Now, new evidence has emerged proving that not only was Dean driving safely, but at a much lower speed than was believed at the time.
At 5:45 PM on September 30, 1955, 24-year-old actor James Dean is killed in Cholame, California, when the Porsche he is driving hits a Ford Tudor sedan at an intersection.
The driver of the other car, 23-year-old California Polytechnic State University student Donald Turnupseed, was dazed but mostly uninjured; Dean’s passenger, German Porsche mechanic Rolf Wütherich was badly injured but survived.
Only one of Dean’s movies, “East of Eden,” had been released at the time of his death (“Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant” opened shortly afterward), but he was already on his way to superstardom--and the crash made him a legend.
Type: Car Accident
Topics:
Celebrity AccidentsPeople Involved:
James Dean
Donald Turnupseed
Rolf Wütherich
City:
Cholame, CACounty:
San Luis Obispo County, CA
Add new comment