With just a scant three movies filmed and only one released before his death, it’s quite impressive that his legacy still burns so brightly. In fact James Dean’s popularity remains higher in death than it did during his short life.
In the early afternoon hours of September 30, 1955, Dean would head out with Porsche factory mechanic, Rolph Weutherich to an auto rally in Salinas, California. Dean and the “Little Bastard” were pulled over for speeding by a Bakersfield police officer, who issued a citation for doing 65 in a 55 and cautioned Dean to slow down and be careful. Dean and Rolph would continue their journey to the Salinas rally and headed out on Highway 466 towards Cholame, California, unaware of their fate that lie before them.
Meanwhile, near Paso Robles, 23 year-old Cal Poly student, Donald Turnupseed was heading home in his 1950 Ford Tutor. He made a left turn at the intersection of Highways 41 onto State Route 466 (later State Route 46) unaware of the Spyder approaching. As James Dean yelled to his friend seated next to him “He’s Got to See Us.” (Some sources cite the quote as, “That guy’s gotta stop… He’ll see us.”)
Contrary to the reports that have since stated Dean’s speed in excess of 80 miles per hour, California Highway Patrol officer Ron Nelson (one of the first law enforcement officers on the scene) said “the wreckage and the position of Dean’s body indicated his speed at the time of the accident was more like 55 mph.”
“Little Bastard” plowed into the broad side (check out this claim that the two vehicles collided driver’s door – to driver’s door) of the Ford Tutor. “Little Bastard” and its occupants would come to rest near a telephone pole fifteen feet off the road.
Rolf, thrown from the car, survived with a broken leg and serious head injuries, but he would survive. Donald Turnupseed, escaped the accident with only a gashed forehead and bruised nose. But James Dean, America’s rebel without a cause, would suffer fatal injuries, including a near decapitation. His body would be taken via ambulance to Paso Robles War memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival by Deputy Coroner Paul E. Werrick. The Coroner’s report would list Dean’s death as broken neck, multiple fractures of upper and lower jaw, multiple fractures of left and right arm and other internal injuries caused by a 2 car collision. James Dean was but 24 years old.Kuehl’s Funeral Home in Paso Robles, California would prepare the badly mangled body for its return back home to Indiana. His funeral would take place at the Back Creek Friends Church on October 8, 1955.
James Dean is buried in Fairmount Park Cemetery where his tombstone has been stolen 3 times, the last in July of 1998.
Ironically, Rolf Weutherich would be killed in a car accident in 1981, after surviving several failed suicide attampts. Donald Turnupseed would die in 1995 of lung cancer.