13 Famous People Who Died in Tragic Car Accidents

The world has since moved on, but the pain of the tragic death of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam on that fateful day of April 23, 2007, is still fresh to many. Halberstam’s driver reportedly “made an illegal left turn into the path of another car that had a green light.”

That singular mistake cost the award-winning author his life, although the driver, Kevin Jones, survived the fatal accident. Not even his seat belt could save the celebrated journalist honored for his work on the Vietnam War while with The New York Times. He had 23 books to his name and was working on a new title when his life was cut short that Monday morning.

Like Halberstam, history has repeatedly proven that death is a debt everyone must pay — rich or poor, unknown or famous. Today, we remember 13 famous people who departed Earth via car accidents, from legendary musicians and actors to renowned athletes and political figures.

James Dean

• The Fateful Car: 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder

We begin with James Dean because he was a gearhead like us who died “in active service.” No, James Dean was not a soldier. He was a flourishing Hollywood actor who had just started living his dream of professional racing when his beloved “Little B*stard,” a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, collided with a 1950 Ford Tudor near Cholame.

The Tudor’s driver was a 23-year-old college student named Donald Turnupseed. Turnupseed is said to have done his best to avoid public attention since the incident. He died in 1995.

Princess Diana

• The Fateful Car: 1994 Mercedes-Benz S280

The Princess of Wales might as well be number two on this list since her story sent shockwaves around the world. You’d think tabloid clickers would change their wayward ways after this incredibly tragic incident — imagine being pursued to death by paparazzi on motorbikes.

Princess Diana was traveling with four other passengers in a 1994 Mercedes-Benz S280 on that fateful night of August 31, 1997, when the car’s allegedly drunk driver collided with a pillar after speeding into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel Paris.

The other passengers were Dodi Fayed, her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, and the driver Henri Paul. The driver and Fayed died instantly, while the bodyguard survived with serious injuries. The Princess succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

Paul Walker

• The Fateful Car: 2005 Porsche Carrera GT

Paul Walker was another Hollywood star with a love of cars and racing who ultimately said goodbye to the world while following his passion. The actor, best known for his performance as undercover police officer Brian O’Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise, was not even behind the wheel of the ill-fated 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when the accident happened.

His friend and financial adviser Roger Rodas was driving. They were on their way to a fundraiser event organized by Walker’s organization, Reach Out Worldwide, for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

The Porsche was reported traveling at 81 and 93 mph in a 45 mph speed zone when Rodas lost control of the car and ran into a concrete lamp post and two trees. The car burst into flames on impact, and both men died at the scene.

Grace Kelly

• The Fateful Car: 1971 Rover P6 3500

Grace Kelly’s life story was the stuff of Disney fairy tales — an actress turned Princess. That is, until the American actress who became the Princess of Monaco died in a fatal crash on September 14, 1982. Kelly was behind the wheel of the V8-powered Rover P6 3500 when she reportedly suffered a stroke at the winding Route de La Turbie, known for its dangerous curves and steep inclines.

Her 17-year-old daughter Princess Stéphanie was also in the car. They were returning to Monaco from Roc Agel, their country home. The P6 veered off the road and crashed into a retaining wall down a steep embankment. Stéphanie survived, but her mom succumbed to her injuries the following day. She was 52 years old.

Jayne Mansfield

• The Fateful Car: 1966 Buick Electra 225

Jayne was as much a symbol of glamour as she was an actress. Gus Stevens Dinner Club chauffeur Ronald B. Harrison was driving a 1966 Buick Electra 225 when the unfortunate event happened on U.S. Route 90, approximately two miles east of the Rigolets Bridge near Slidell, Louisiana.

They reportedly drove into a dense fog and crashed into a tractor-trailer. It was June 29, 1967, and Jayne was just 34. Other passengers in the car included Mansfield’s attorney and boyfriend, Sam Brody, and three of her children (Mickey, Zoltan, and Mariska Hargitay). The kids survived, but Jayne, her boyfriend, and the driver died instantly.

Ryan Dunn

• The Fateful Car: 2007 Porsche 911 GT3

This daredevil and stuntman died in a car crash on June 20, 2011, aged 34. He was driving his Porsche 911 on Route 322 in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, with his friend and assistant Zachary Hartwell in the passenger seat, when the car suddenly veered into a wooded area and burst into flames.

Ryan’s GT3 was the most powerful naturally aspirated 911 at the time, producing 415 hp at 7,600 rpm from its aluminum 3.6-liter flat-six. He was estimated to have been going 130 to 140 mph in a 55 mph speed zone.

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

• The Fateful Car: 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport

The news of Lisa’s tragic death in 2002 reverberated around the world due to her membership in the famous R&B girl group TLC. The incident happened in La Ceiba, Honduras, where she’d been working on charity projects and a documentary about her life.

Lisa reportedly rolled her rented Mitsubishi Montero SUV several times after she swerved off the road in a fatal attempt to avoid another vehicle. Without her seatbelt on, Lisa was ejected from the SUV and died at the scene. She was just 30 years old.

Sam Kinison

• The Fateful Car: 1989 Pontiac Trans Am

Has the world really forgotten Sam Kinison, one of the biggest names in American comedy during the late 1980s and early 1990s? Sadly, the comedian and actor died in his prime in a car crash on April 10, 1992. He was 38 years old.

Kinison was driving his classic Pontiac Trans Am when he collided head-on with a 1989 Dodge Ramcharger pickup truck driven by a drunken 17-year-old. The sad incident happened near Needles, California. The comedian died at the scene, while his wife, Malika Souiri, and the truck’s driver survived with injuries.

Albert Camus

• The Fateful Car: 1959 Facel Vega HK500

Albert Camus was a famous French philosopher, celebrated author, and renowned journalist best known for his existential philosophy and literature. Yep, that’s the one — the author of novels such as The Stranger, The Plague, and The Fall.

The man was one of the most famous names of his time and was celebrated globally for his philosophical and literary works. Albert’s life would eventually be cut short in a car accident near the town of Villeblevin, France. The ill-fated car, the 1959 Facel Vega, belonged to his friend and publisher, Michel Gallimard. Camus was 46 years old at the time.

Jackson Pollock

• The Fateful Car: 1950 Oldsmobile Convertible

It’s been nearly seven decades since Jackson Pollock lost his life in a car crash on August 11, 1956, but Pollock lives on in his paintings and abstract expressionism. He pioneered the unique “drip painting” style, in which he flung paint onto canvases laid out on the floor to create dynamic, intricate compositions.

We can only hope that artists who practice drip painting today will recognize where the technique originated. Pollock was just 44 when he lost control of his Oldsmobile convertible and crashed into a tree near Springs, New York. He and his mistress, Ruth Kligman, died at the scene.

Patsy Cline’s Manager Randy Hughes

• The Fateful Car: A Plane and a Car

Patsy was a famous country music singer who became an American celebrity and a household name during the 1950s and early 1960s. The Silent Generation and Baby Boomers will forever remember her rich, emotive voice, especially with hits like “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” and “Walkin’ After Midnight.”

While the country music star died in a plane crash on March 5, 1963, aged 30, her beloved manager Randy Hughes died in a car crash on the same date a year later.

Isadora Duncan

• The Fateful Car: Amilcar CGSS

Isadora was a famous American dancer who rose to fame in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She began dancing professionally in the late 1890s and quickly became popular for her innovative dance moves. She is often credited with inventing modern dance. Historians say the woman’s free-spirited and expressive style of dancing was a significant and daring departure from the more rigid forms of classical ballet.

Even though she was 50 years old when she died, the manner of her death is particularly saddening. Isadora’s scarf got caught in the wheel of an Amilcar CGSS car she was riding, resulting in her being flung from the vehicle.

Marc Bolan

• The Fateful Car: 1977 Mini 1275GT

Gen Xers will remember Marc Bolan as the lead singer of T. Rex, the British rock band formed in the late 1960s. Bolan was the band’s lead vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter. T. Rex greatly influenced the glam rock movement of the 1970s, dropping hits like “Get It On,” “Ride A White Swan,” and “Hot Love.”

Bolan died at the age of 29 in a car crash on September 16, 1977, just two days before his 30th birthday. He’d been riding in a new MINI 1275GT with her girlfriend, Gloria Jones, behind the wheel. The car struck a tree in Barnes, London, and Bolan was killed instantly. The driver survived with injuries.