The End Of It All

Soon after completing Giant, Dean got into a terrible car accident. On September 30^th, 1955 Dean was driving with Rolph Weutherich, a Porsche mechanic, in his new silver Porsche 550 Spyder, which was nicknamed “Little Bastard.”  They were on their way to an auto rally in Salinas, California. They were pulled over and received a ticket for going 65 mph in a 55. The officer warned James to be careful and he continued on his way. James was speeding down the highway and crashed straight into a Ford sedan and was killed instantly. James’s car ended up 15 feet off the road next to a telephone pole. Rolph survived with a broken leg and severe head injuries. Donald Turnupseed, who was in the other car, only had a few cuts and bruises. James unfortunately got the short end of the stick, and was nearly decapitated. At the young age of only 24, James Dean was pronounced dead.

The car crash

“If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he's dead, then maybe he was a great man.” –James Dean