James Dean Crash

[Sonic dB]

OK...this makes more sense. The road was altered just 'before' the crash intersection...but the actual intersection is still there...

http://www.jamesdeanmemorialjunction.com/Highway46-4.htm

[304065]

I have an insupressible urge to buy something from CORBIS

[s_wilwerding]

Reading one of my Boxster books, they say the guy's name that hit Dean was Donald Turnipseed. And, yes, they say it was all his fault. In the Boxster book, the travel the same route as Dean in one of the first Boxsters in 1997.

[Sunroof]

Here it is.............Talk about being attached to your Porsche!

After Dean's wreck master car customizer George Barris bought the wreck for $2,500. When the wreck arrived at this garage the Porsche slipped and fell on the mechanics leg unloading it. Both legs were broken.

Two Doctors, Troy McHenry and William Eschrid were both racing cars that had parts from Deans 550. McHenry died when his car, which had the "Little Bastards" engine stalled and hit a tree. Eschrids car flipped over. Eschrid, who survivied his serious injuries was quoted as saying, "the car suddenly locked up when it went into a curve".

It goes on......................

A kid who tried to steal the sterring wheel from the wreck, gashed his arm.

Two tires from the wreck Barris sold to a guy blew simultaneously on his car and almost killed him.

Barris loaned the "Little Bastard" to the California Highway patrol for a touring display for automobile safety. Within days, the garage housing the car and several others burned to the ground....all the cars inside were destroyed with the exception of the "Little Bastard"!

When the vehicle was placed on display in Sacramento, it fell from its display and broke a teenager's hip. George Barkius, who was hauling the Spyder on a flatbed truck, was killed instantly when the car fell on him after he was thrown from the truck during an accident.

The mishap surrounding the car continued until 1960, when the Porsche was loaned out for a safety exhibit in Miami, Florida. When the exhibit was over, en route to Los Angeles on a truck, it mysteriously VANISHED. To this day , its where abouts is unknown.

Finding the wreck would be interesting, but it certainly could use an exorcism....Quite a story of the Little Bastard.

Reagrds
Bob
73.5T

[Sunroof]

The stuff I was mentioning came from an article from "Hollywood Hauntings".....

Their was an AMC television special awhile ago that featured Dean's car and the aftermath. I cannot say how much was hype or theatrics for the viewing audience; however, the story is intriguing. The documentation regarding George Barris is fact which includes the two Doctor's who had parts from Deans car.
The garage fire survival is a bit too much.................sort of like Christine!! But, nonetheless documented as well. Several were injured or killed as a result of handling the 550.

Hey, the guy loved his racing and owning one of ninety 550's at that time had to be the ultimate. If the car is missing, someone has a treasure on their hands.

As one who was a lover of "a rebel without a cause" which was his trademark that helped make him a legend, I find that these stories, despite how tragic help strengthen the aura of mystery about Dean and his Porsche. In the poster, "the last ride" where he is gasing up (his mechanic took the shot that fateful day), its pure Dean......the cigarette dagling from his mouth, the racing gloves, THE TOUGH ATTITUDE. The "Little Bastard" was an appropriate name for his car.

Bob

[Kurt B]

Okay, the curse stuff ...it obviously for those mathematically/scientifically challenged, but otherwise, everything I have read about the crash suggests, James Dean had the right of way blazing away in a silver car at almost sundown and as he went toward the intersection, his mechanic said "slow down" where James responded "No, I have the right way and he sees me." But Donald didn't. That's the end of it. James survived for a few minutes, but had a broken neck along w/ massive internal injuries.


With respect to curses. I'm not even going to go there. I can't. The Virgin Mary statuette I have in my office is shedding a tear and if you look closely at the crucifix I just bought in Mexico, yup.....hold on...it's coming..yes, blood just began to drip from Jesus' tiny hands---I have to be good. God is watching.

[89944TurboS]

Interesting stuff. I watched a special on him not long ago and they also said the wreck was not his fault...
I go by his birth place often on trips up to Michigan. Its in Fairmount Indiana, just off of HWY 69 in between Indy & Fort Wayne. They have a bill board advertsing a museum there...Never been there...

If we can learn something from his dealth, its that you can never take for granted the other guy see's you...Always pay attention...Have a ton of fu, when driving, but always becareful!

[Joe Bob]

http://66.165.133.65/autos/cursed/spyder.asp

Link to urban legends and James Dean....

[Joe Bob]

Claim: Parts
from James Dean's crashed Porsche Spyder were re-used in other automobiles, with disastrous results.

Status: Undetermined.

Origins: James Dean was killed in a car crash on 30 September 1955 when his new Porsche Spyder crashed head on into another car. Dean's passenger was thrown from the car and survived, but Dean was pinned inside. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. After the accident, many fans refused to believe Dean was dead. A story circulated that he was still alive although terribly disfigured, and in true urban legend fashion this tale took on a life of its own.

I won't go into all the James Dean as a cult idol stuff except to say his mystique has staying power. For example, his tombstone was stolen twice in 1983, and in 1985 had to be replaced because of damage done to it by fans. Seems he was still the popular fella despite having been dead for three decades.

Back to the "haunted" Porsche. The following "information" comes from a newspaper article. Make of it what you will:

After the accident the Porsche was sold to a second-hand car dealer who put it on public view (supposedly in support of a campaign for road safety). He charged viewers twenty-five cents each to look at it.

Car designer George Barris next bought the car and planned to sell it for parts. When the car was delivered to his yard, it rolled back off the truck and broke a mechanic's legs.

Troy McHenry, a Beverly Hills doctor, bought the Dean engine and used it to replace the engine in his Porsche. The doctor was killed in a crash the first time he took the car out.

(Troy McHenry died on 22 October 1956 during a automobile race at the Pomona Fairground near Los Angeles. He was driving a Porsche Spyder, but I've yet to determine if Dean's engine was in that car.)

Another unnamed doctor bought the Dean transmission. He too was later seriously injured in a car crash.

An unnamed New Yorker bought two of the Dean tires. His car crashed when both tires mysteriously blew out at the same time.

The shell of the Dean car was being transported to a road safety exhibition in Salinas when the truck skidded and crashed. The driver was killed.

Stolen from the scene of that fatal accident was the shell of James Dean's car. It's never been recovered.

Another version of the disappearance of the shell was reported in a Los Angeles Times article on 30 October 1989. George Barris (the guy who sold the car for parts) was quoted as saying the last time he saw the shell was when he exhibited it in Florida in 1958. The car was loaded on a truck afterwards, but eight days later when the truck arrived at its destination, the car wasn't there. No mention of an accident.

You decide.

Barbara "Dean nicknamed the car 'Little Bastard' -- maybe 'Christine' would have been more accurate

[KevinP73]

Having started my career working for George Barris I have heard much of what Sunroof says directly from George and other related sources. The ONLY variation to the story is that the "Little Basterd" was returning from an exhibit by train. The box car it was loaded into was supposedly misrouted and never seen again.
(Inject Urban Legend here)
At the same time all this was taking place, George was in a battle with Ford Motor Co. re: the Ford "Futura" aka "The BatMobile". There is some rumor that FoMoCo may have suspected that JD's car was in the same box car as the "Futura" and that they are responable for the boxcar being redirected to Dearborn. When they discovered that they were wrong, the evidence of their crime was buried.
(End Urban Legend here)

[GIBSON]

Yes, the intersection is still there, slightly repositioned but not by much. When Dean was on that road it was called Hwy 446, changed to 46 several years later.
The driver of the Ford, Turnupseed, did indeed die a few years back after living a life of attempted reclusivity. After the police finished questioning him, late in the evening, he stuck his thumb out and hitchhiked his way back to Fresno.
Johhny Von Neuman, who sold the car to Dean, was one of the first on the scene of the accident. He asked where Dean and Wutherich had been taken. He rushed to the Paso Robles hospital, of course it was too late for Dean but Doctors were considering amputating Wutherich's leg. He would not hear of it and had Wutherich transported to Glendale hospital where extensive rehabilitation resulted in his keeping the leg.

The postmaster of the Cholame post office has kept every piece of information pertaining to the crash since day one when she was the active postmaster. Now retired, she will gladly show her collection of photos and stories to any interested group. The last time I talked with her was several years ago, I think she is still there.

The Japanese business man who maintains the memorial at Jack Ranch Cafe still supplies rocks which are the ground cover inside the memorial. They are frequently lifted by Dean fans and have to be replenished.

Wutherich was killed in a Honda in Europe, just before giving an interview to discuss the accident.

Many portions of the old 446 are still visible to the south of new 46. It was a narrow road at that time, easy to see how dangerious things could have been in the setting sun in late September.

[JR Indy]

Yeah, but what about the cupholders from the car? Whatever happened to them?

[Tim Walsh]

and who got the cool collar?

[Early_S_Man]

The crash was analyzed in detail in a past Excellence article and covered in a Discovery [and maybe History] Channel documentary as well.

Based on aerial photographs and geodetic mapping of the intersection ... and resting location of the car ... Dean's speed was estimated at 68 - 70 mph, and about 60 mph for the 1950 Ford station wagon. Collision was at dusk, and, unfortunately, a case of a silver car just blending into the background visually at that hour!!!

[Sonic dB]

Yeah, but what about the cupholders from the car? Whatever happened to them?

Sounds like road trip time up to Chalome...According to Yahoo Maps its a 3 hour drive with the top down. Now, Im no big JD fan...but he was cool. I just want to see this landmark.

[JR Indy]

Fairmount is just a few minutes from here, I've driven through a few times. I think there is even a James Dean Day celebration once a year. Maybe a good p-car get together location, other than it's in the middle of nowhere -- or at least on the edge.

OK Sonic, trade you a pic of your car at that location for a pic of my car at some James Dean historical marker in Fairmount.

[caliber60]

These old highways are very different from the regular freeway. You can see the new freeway does not goes up and down like the old highway. I drove through route 66 old highway along Bartsow area, it was fun. You can not see the oncoming traffic until it reaches the top of the hill.

[agabriel]

thats part of the reason that parts from crashed airplanes never make it in to good planes....

Well a few have, and there have been several distasterous results from that. Also I think the military just wants their birds in the air no matter what the parts came from.

[smoak]

I think if you watch the Quicktime video you on the link to http://fail.com (just search Dean) to watch a mini of the video. I know others who have used fail in a case before and trust their judgment, the mini video shows exactly what they believe happened from how the cars came to rest.

[smoak]

If you are interested in the before pictures of the Dean's Spyder on the day of the accident here are a couple:

http://www.angelfire.com/in4/jamesdean/PPhotos.htm

Man that was a nice ride.

And who is this guy? Looks like he has made a real nice "replica" of Dean's car on that day http://www.jamesdeanmemorialjunction.com/Porsche_550_Spyder.htm

Man that is a nice ride.