which presents an alternative history that tells us what might have happened if Dean had survived the crash. Photo via Corbis. It was later determined that Turnupseed was speeding at around 85 mph before impact. . "Rob Petrie" wrote in message news:y8y%[email protected]> x-no-archive: yes>> "scottla" wrote in message > news:[email protected] >>> I recall reading that the color of Dean's car was a factor. Learn more about managing a memorial . These police photos from the scene of the sickening crash illustrate the devastating impact force which killed one of America's biggest on-screen stars. By We have set your language to The gruesome display was promoted as: James Deans Last Sports Car. It can easily be missed unless you know its there. In Touch Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. He shared a passion for racing with two other leading men of the era, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, and had entered his first professional race earlier in the year. She suffered severe head trauma. His family also helped shield him from reporters. The cause of the fire is unknown. Interesting that Turnupseed did all his own cutomizing, paint work, etc. As this year's 40th anniversary of the crash approached, requests forinterviews continued. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. James Dean received a speeding ticket on Highway 99 about a hour before this wreck. Some claim that the source of that curse was none other than iconic Pop Culture car creator known as the King of the Kustomizers, George Barris. Driving along that long two-lane stretch of Central California highway, its easy to imagine what James Deans last hour was like even though much of todays road isnt the same one James Dean traveled on. American Folk Figure. 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 . Donald Turnupseed - Alan E. Hunter The fates of race car mechanic Rolf Wutherich, college student Donald Turnipseed, and a Porche Spyder 550 A all converged about a mile East of Cholame, California, at 5:30 p.m. on The public was shocked by James Deans death as he was a young and promising actor. "More than likely," hesaid. 46 toward the junction. Later, the intersection was realigned to make the Highway 46 straight through and at present Highway 41 has a left turn lane directly facing the oncoming Hwy 46 traffic. This display is what disappeared supposedly after returning from a Miami show in 1960. 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. At>least Buddy Holly's pilot died in the crash! what happened to donald turnupseed car - allthatnerdystuff.com I find it hard to agree with the statement Turnipseed was at fault. His mechanic was a passenger. The vendor, also called Robert Coyle, said: 'These are official. The road shimmers along this route, making it hard to tell where the road ends and the horizon begins. Cant get much more California than that now can you? While it wasn't technically seen in any movies, actor James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder (affectionately known as Little Bastard) could be the most iconic, and cursed car Hollywood has ever seen. All true. He did not stop and plowed into the passenger side of Turnipseed's, car. He was not ticketed or ever charged with any wrongdoing and he remained a recluse for the rest of his life. It is ironic that Cholame sits within a mile of the San Andreas Fault-line because on September 30, 1955, the death of James Dean caused a seismic shift in pop culture history that resonates to this day. The cars mirror finish was accented by the number 130 on the front hood, rear trunk and side doors and the name Little Bastard (designated as such by Dean himself) on the back. See Photos of Your Favorite Stars Going Topless, Lets Go to the Beach! At the end of THE GREEN BERETS, the sun sets into the ocean, which is east of Vietnam, the setting of the film. Enlisting stuntman Bill Hickman to help out, the original plan was to tow Little Bastard to the races, but Wtherich felt it would be better for Dean to get used to the Spyder and run the engine in. That's not DonaldTurnupseed," said Wally Nelson, president of Turnupseed Electric inTulare. He later switched to cattle and agriculture. At, Regarding the James Dean crash: My father with the attending physician for, James Dean's last words: "That guy's got to stop! Something that never materialized in real life. Dean was barreling down Route 466 at an estimated 85 mph when a young Cal Poly student named Donald Turnupseed, driving a Ford Tudor, decided to make a sudden turn on to Route 41. Why Do I Hear Water Sloshing Around In My Car. DEEP-POCKET PEDIGREES - Orlando Sentinel - DONALD TURNUPSEED - Orlando Sentinel I saw the TV special and it appeared to use the present highway alignment. The comments below have not been moderated, By Rolf Wtherich - Wikipedia A German journalist was the last the call, Nelsonsaid. He is survived by his wife, Mollie Turnupseed, Tulare; two sons, Davidand Donald Bruce Turnupseed, both of Tulare; one stepson, Rick Bradley,Coalinga; one daughter, Peggy Henson, Fresno; and five grandchildren. if you get in that car you will be found dead in it by this time next week.. In Touch Weekly is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. The accident probably causedTurnupseed to be more private still, Paggi said. . The sun is setting behind Jack and Rose as the ship is sailing WEST. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The Death of James Dean in a Car Accident - Reel Reviews It was a very, very odd, spooky experience. And the fact the ford was partially side swiped adds to that guess. The driver of that car was a college student by the name of Donald Turnupseed and he was only injured in the crash. Did you enjoy this article? Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody Over Money From Coyote Pass? For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. 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. A woman with nursing experience attended to Dean and detected a weak pulse in his neck, but according to the woman, death appeared to have been instantaneous. Details of James Deans last hours on earth have been well documented but are worth revisiting. The police report concluded that Dean was at fault for the accident. I refer you once again to the web page I cited. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. The Ford suddenly began to turn left to head northwest on 41. Donald Turnupseed drifted into the oncoming lane and collided with James Deans car. All Rights Reserved. "There's always somebody calling up or coming to the door.We had to push them out the door.". Oddly, I happen to have a copy of Dean's death certificate as I> know some of the men who signed it (not my Dad, though).> > As the best I remember at the Highway 41/46 split Turnipseed had the right> of way and Dean had an arterial stop sign. 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. Dean died in a car crash nearly 65 years ago (September 30, 1955) but he remains a fixture on the pop culture landscape as the gold standard of cool. The presentalignment has no stop sign, a straight thru lane to Bakersfield and uses a left turn lane to Fresno rather than theoriginal "Y" layout with a stop sign. A car driven by Donald Turnupseed of Tulare, California, a 23-year-old Cal Poly student, turned left in front of Dean's light aluminum Porche Spyder and the two automobiles crashed head-on. The curse of James Deans car has become a part of Americas cultural mythology. Like many a Hoosier youth, I too had my James Dean phase. Dean was the unwilling recipient of a steering wheel and dash, while his luckier passenger was ejected from the car. At 5:45 PM on this day in 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. Oh, shucks! James Dean's athletic past led to a fatal connection with Tulare There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Please enter your email and password to sign in. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Despite being declared a total loss by the insurance company, the car was sold on and would continue to cause carnage wherever itor even parts of itwent. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Donald Gene Turnupseed I found on Findagrave.com. Just what was that ticket for? Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Never-released photos of James Dean's fatal car crash go up for - CNN My SUV automatically turns on headlights when the engine starts. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. The impact sent the Ford almost 40 feet down the road and ejected Wtherich from the Porsche. Turnupseed kept a low profile after the accident. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. The collision was witnessed by several passersby who stopped to help. Donald Gene Turnupseed was the driver of the 1950 Ford Tudor that collided with a 1956 Porsche Spyder driven by the famed actor James Dean on September 30, 1955. Turnupseed was president of the San Joaquin Valley chapter of NationalElectrical Contractors Association 1990-94. His death secured a legacy and marketable immortality. Donald Turnupseed was an American college student who on March 22 1955 while driving to college collided with and killed James Dean. You are most definitely tripping on that. Route 466 now known as Route 46 in San Luis Obispo County California. Why this kind of inattentive driving isn't illegal everywhere is beyond me. Part of his remaining allure involves his small town genesis, the curse of his death car and an unexpected connection to the Star Wars franchise. James Dean Crash site 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. The heavy Ford Turnupseed slid 39 feet down the highway while the Spyder 550 (a much lighter car) was thrown into the air. Deans first races were run in a Porsche 356 Speedster, which he bought in March 1955. He ran a very successful electrical contracting business for most of the time since the accident before dying of lung cancer in 1995. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Donald Turnupseed (10990655)? Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. "More than likely," he said. It appears Bruce brown who I was told was Kurt cobains blood father and Bruce told me kurt was my paternal brother, may have traveled this same highway 46. Privacy Policy. Two Friendly Ghosts (Short 2011) - IMDb and I don't care. See post #80 and forward by Trailer Park Playboy (Turnupseed's Grandson). Seems that retrospectively, Deans death, like his life, can easily get lost in the legend. . Photo from James Dean: On The Road To Salinas, 2015 / Lee Raskin archives. According to Lee Raskin, a Porsche historian who has researched Dean's Spyder, even though Dean had previously raced his Speedster locally and had quickly become known to the Southern California sports car . 'Our father was the attorney for Donald Turnupseed. Rare Original Photos from the Accident that Killed James Dean. | Lot at the very same intersection where the accident occurred. The present> alignment has no stop sign, a straight thru lane to Bakersfield and uses a > left turn lane to Fresno rather than the> original "Y" layout with a stop sign. As the two cars converged on to the junction, the Ford veered over the centerline to turn left. He left Blackwells Corner with Rolf Wtherich, the Porsche mechanic, and sped away, leaving his mates behind. Extensive investigation of the accident never established guilt, saidC.R. The Porsche crested Polonio Pass and headed west down Route 466s long Antelope Grade, passing cars along the way while heading straight toward the junction of Route 41. She had a stroke while driving down a winding mountain pass, with her daughter Stephanie and drove off the road. Turnupseed was only slightly injured with facial bruises and a bloodied nose. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. As well as photos of the wreckage of the cars taken in the hours after the crash, the album also contains overhead views of the junction of Route 466 and Route 41 where the carnage unfolded, and images of skid marks on the ground. Donald Gene Turnupseed (1932-1995) - Find a Grave Memorial There was an interesting analysis on US television some years ago aboutthe Dean crash. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Baldwin |am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also\ / [email protected]|to deny under oath that I ever made it. The best way you could envision the scene while sitting here in Indiana in the dead of winter would be for you to make a peace sign with the index and middle fingers of your right hand. Top 7 Most Cursed Cars in History | Medium How old was Donald Turnupseed when the accident occurred? >Imagine having to live with the knowledge you killed James Dean! Although tiny Cholame (population 116) makes Deans hometown of Fairmount, Indiana (population @ 2,600 in 1955) look like a metropolis, it would be hard to find a more typical California town. Imagine that, killing James Dean and never wanting to talk about it. Jury finds Dean death accidental PASO ROBLES, Oct. 11 After deliberating only 24 minutes,. A week before the fatal crash Dean met British actor Alec Guinness in Los Angeles. Learn more about merges. I drove that intersection many times as I made the trip> from Paso Robles to Fresno to see a girl friend.> > I saw the TV special and it appeared to use the present highway alignment> which has been redone several times in the last 50 years. Donald Turnupseed, the Tulare man who quietly built a family business and endeavored to maintain his privacy after being involved in the car accident that killed actor James Dean four. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. You make some good points here. exhausted, hungry, feeling a little ill-tempered in spite of Deans kindness, I heard myself saying in a voice I could hardly recognize as my own: Please never get in it. CA Pink Slip) listing the engine number, is still in the possession of the family of the late Dr. Eschrich. There are also nine pictures showing the "terrifying aftermath" of the crash, including Dean and Turnupseed's "mangled automobiles," RR Auction says. Thx. According to the postmortem report, it is believed that Dean's head impacted with the front grill of the other car. Sir Alec (1914-2000) won an Oscar portraying Col. Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), but he is best remembered by modern fans for portraying Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. Black-and-white images of the acting heartthrob's mangled Porsche 550 Spyder recently resurfaced in a Boston auction house to be sold. I have enough to do to drive my own vehicle without having to drive someone else's who is focused on their cellphone conversation instead of watching where they are going and what they are doing. Turnupseeds car crossed into Deans lane while making a left turn. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? He traded in his Speedster for the Spyder on September 21, and his new buddy Wtherich was part of the deal. Thanks, Shirley! This bypass became known as the racers road, a popular short-cut for sports car drivers going to Salinas. Guinness had already received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in The Lavender Hill Mob in 1951. Terms of Service. You're disagreeing with Exponent's findings based on something thatdidn't happen at the scene, viz., that Dean had gotten a speedingticket two hours (not one hour) before. Copyright 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. 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. "It was never establishedwhose fault it was. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The transaxle from James Dean's 'cursed' Porsche is up for auction Shortly before the accident, Dean, dressed as his cowboy character from Giant, filmed a road safety television spot with Hollywood star Gig Young. He was 63. First, Barris loaned the car out to the Los Angeles chapter of the National Safety Council for a local custom car show in 1956. Try again later. Turnupseed later testified at a hearing held in San Luis Obispo that he slowed as he approached the intersection, glanced up the hill to look for oncoming cars, and then crossed over the line to continue his left turn on to Highway 41. There was never an official finding of fault in the crash, however standard driving procedure would indicate that Turnupseed was at fault since he made the left in front of Dean. James Dean crash investigation took only 2 weeks in 1955 | San Luis Stephanie survived. This evidence consists ofwhere the cars came to rest, and the level of damage they sustained inthe collision. Dean could not avoid a collision. Hoosier James Dean died in an automobile accident on a desolate stretch of highway in Cholame, California nearly 65 years ago, yet he remains ever present in the collective memory of fans born well after his death. Wtherich, who had been in the passenger seat, was thrown from the Spyder, where he lay barely conscious on the shoulder of the road beside the wrecked vehicle. Hickman assisted in extricating Dean from the wreckage while Roth took photographs of the crash. Around 5:00 p.m., Dean stopped at Blackwells Corner for apples and Coca-Cola and met up briefly with fellow racers Lance Reventlow and Bruce Kessler, who were also on their way to Salinas in Reventlows Mercedes-Benz 300 SL coupe. Guinness, exhausted after a long flight from Copenhagen, was having dinner with Thelma Moss, an actress and screenwriter. Never-released photos of James Dean's fatal car crash go up for - CNN I read that the insurance investigators, CHP. We didnt like him because he had all of the girls in the room fawning all over him and we couldnt get a dance. they said. It sort of blends in to the surrounding nothingness except for the shadows of footprints and mementos left by fans from all over the world. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. memorial page for Barbara Lee Hoffman Turnupseed (9 Mar 1933-18 Apr 1977), Find a Grave Memorial ID 26766722, citing Tulare Cemetery, Tulare, Tulare County . This is a carousel with slides. But the Spyder wasextremely low and painted light grey or silver, and the sun wassetting behind Dean as he approached the crossroad, so theythink Turnuspeed never saw him when he made his left turn andended up in Dean's path. Trump's parents and siblings: What do we know of them? - BBC This evidence consists of where> the cars came to rest, and the level of damage they sustained in the> collision. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. A few of those stories can be corroborated. 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. IMHO, From the looks of the crash photos, the (5 yr. old) Ford looks to be a total Major body/frame damage.