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The 24-year-old was driving west on US Route 466 in California, bound for a racing event in Salinas, on September 30, 1955, when his 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder collided with a 1950 Ford Tudor driven. The impact sent the Ford almost 40 feet down the road and ejected Wtherich from the Porsche. 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. Another good idea is to at least turn on headlights in the daytime if you turn on the wipers, no matter the vehicle color or shape.. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. In fact Little Bastard had caused upset almost from the moment Dean bought it. Learn more about managing a memorial . Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Dec 20, 2021. Seems that retrospectively, Deans death, like his life, can easily get lost in the legend. Turnupseeds sister also had a difficult time coping with the accident and committed suicide. I secretly(*) hope they will have a wreck, but just not involve me! The truck driver was mostly unharmed, with just a few superficial cuts and bumps. . And some strange thing came over me. Oh, hell, that's not so bad. The impact sent the much-heavier Ford sliding 39 feet down Route 466 in the opposite lane. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. never mind that other drivers might not be able to see THEM? 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. The vendor, also called Robert Coyle, said: 'These are official. A witness reported it doing cartwheels and smashing into the ground several times. But, to date, neither of Deans Porsches have been located. Dean was driving directly into the sun. 90 Day Fiance Stars Weve Lost Over the Years, Still Together? It burned two tires and scorched the paint on the vehicle. Barris claimed that the deathcar mysteriously disappeared in 1960 while returning from a traffic safety exhibit in Florida in a sealed railroad boxcar. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Dean and his mechanic, Rolf Wutherich, were en route to a car race in Salinas on Sept. 30, 1955, when the fatal crash occurred. We need all the help we can get out there on the roads and being *seen* is the most important of all. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The car was smashed up when Donald crashed with James Dean in his Porsche. A copy is posted here in Woodland at Chubby's Diner with other Deanmemorabilia. In some circumstances, they can help, but there are legitimate (andlargely unstudied) questions as to whether we'd be better off ifeveryone left his lights on all the time. One of the men mentioned, He had a closed-casket funeral to conceal his severe injuries from his hometown friends and family. These men had been underclassmen at Fairmount high school and relayed stories of encounters with Dean from their school days. what happened to donald turnupseed carBy, May 20, 2021 . PARTI. The group then headed north on the Golden State Freeway and then headed out on Interstate 5 (aka the Grapevine) toward Bakersfield. The car landed in a crumpled heap with Dean still inside. All true. 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. Its driver, 23-year-old Navy Veteran and Cal Poly student Donald Turnupseed, suddenly turned in front of the Porsche to take the left fork onto Route 41. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Barris welded aluminum sheet metal over the caved-in left front fender and cockpit. Dean's vehicle crashed into a Ford Tudor, driven by 23-year-old Donald Turnupseed. 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. In a 1977 interview on BBC television, Guinness recounted a prophetic premonition: 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. Guinness said. Photo from James Dean: On The Road To Salinas, 2015 / Lee Raskin archives. Turnupseed and Dean's passenger, Rolf Wtherich, were both injured in the accident but survived. Stephanie survived. The time was approximately 5:45pm. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Turnupseed was only mildly hurt, but Dean and Wtherich suffered serious injuries in the low-slung roadster. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. In the wake of Deans death Turnupseed was quickly forgotten. The business owner wasquiet even before the crash, Paggi said. Deans posse that day consisted of Porsche mechanic Rolf Wtherich, Warner Bros. Studios stuntman and close friend Bill Hickman and photographer Sanford H. Roth who was shooting photos for an upcoming story of Dean at the races for Colliers magazine. We can't know for sure. "It was never establishedwhose fault it was. He was treated for a scrapednose and bruises at Tulare District Hospital. 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. Learn more about merges. This bypass became known as the racers road, a popular short-cut for sports car drivers going to Salinas. He suffered a broken neck and massive internal and external injuries. Just to amplyfy my post. Failed to delete memorial. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Dean did not>> have his headlights on, so it is likely that Turnipseed never saw him.>> To this day, I always turn on my headlights, even in the middle of the>> day, even when the sun is shining. Donald G. Turnupseed was the driver of the car that collided with Dean's, not Harold Turnupseed. The James Dean car accident occurred on September 30, 1955, when James Dean was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder to a race in Salinas, California. #jamesdean #rebelwithoutacause #caraccident. After receiving the citations, Dean and Hickman turned left onto SR 166 / 33 to bypass Bakersfields congested downtown district. The original plan was to tow the high performance car on a trailer behind Deans 1955 Ford woodie style station wagon the actor had purchased just three months before. Turnupseed kept a low profile after the accident. MGWInformation on Hurricane Assistance - http://uniquelygifted.org/katrina.htm. Donald Turnupseed, the Tulare man who quietly built a family businessand endeavored to maintain his privacy after being involved in the caraccident that killed actor James Dean four decades ago, has died at age63. There was an error deleting this problem. They stopped at a nearby Mobil station on Ventura Blvd. Although billed below them, Deans Jet Rink character stole the movie by playing a character who over the course of 40 years goes from cowboy to oil tycoon. Turnupseed was only slightly injured with facial bruises and a bloodied nose. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He then beat on the aluminum panels with a 24 to try to mimic collision damage. GREAT NEWS! He later switched to cattle and agriculture. James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 - September 30, 1955) was an American actor. Shortly after the crash, publicity monger and self-proclaimed King of Kustoms George Barris bought the Spyder, promising to rebuild it. 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. Try again later. I'm takingfor granted that Exponent's record in court cases gives it somecredibility here, but you're right -- these are not facts. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? (Unless the production designer for THE GREEN BERETS was somehow involved.). James Byron Dead was 24 when he crashed his Porsche 550 Spyder almost head-on with another car driven by Donald Turnupseed, 30 miles east of Paso Robles. >Imagine having to live with the knowledge you killed James Dean! He did not stop and plowed into the passenger side of Turnipseed's car. Mildly customized 1950 Ford owned by Donald Turnupseed. In fact, the new recreation of the crash has determined that Dean's body, which took the full force of the impact, was flung into the passenger seat by the other car in the collision. Dean was the unwilling recipient of a steering wheel and dash, while his luckier passenger was ejected from the car. He was not ticketed or ever charged with any wrongdoing and he remained a recluse for the rest of his life. The idea that lights don't help in the daytime is justplain nonsense. How fast is it? he asked. Paggi said. (jalopyjournal.com), What happened to Donald Turnupspeed's shoebox? Dean, star of "East of Eden" and "Rebel Without a Cause" in 1955 and"Giant in 1956, died in an ambulance headed for a Paso Robles hospital.His mechanic, Rolf Wuetherich, was seriously injured but recovered.Wuetherich died in 1981 in a car crash in West Germany. IMHO, From the looks of the crash photos, the (5 yr. old) Ford looks to be a total Major body/frame damage. Donald Turnupseed, a college student, was making his way towards Fresno with no intention of making headlines . While driving on the highway on Sept. 30, 1955, a man named ahem Donald Turnupseed randomly turned left in an intersection and caused Dean to crash his Porsche. When people ask me why I do this, I>> say, if James Dean had had his headlights on, he would still be alive>> today.>. If you need proof of that assessment, go and visit his grave in Fairmount, Indiana. No one is denying Dean got aticket. Donald Trump famously said he borrowed just $1m from his father to get started in business - the NYT says he received more than $400m As the best I remember at the Highway 41/46 split Turnipseed had the rightof way and Dean had an arterial stop sign. She had a stroke while driving down a winding mountain pass, with her daughter Stephanie and drove off the road. See Paris Jackson's Transformation Over the Years, It's Over! Terms of Service. Cars appear and disappear in vaporous waves of prismic light like an optical illusion as light reflects off the road surface. A famous goof. ____ in a ____ zone? Dean became a cultural icon following his starring role as troubled teenager Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). from Paso Robles to Fresno to see a girl friend. 6, Gone Too Soon! You make some good points here. He died while still filming Giant but its release confirmed his star status. Why this kind of inattentive driving isn't illegal everywhere is beyond me. "Budgie" Sturgeon, a partner in Spuhler and Sturgeon Insurance,which had a policy on Turnupseed's Ford. 133, Loyal Friendship = FREE Car: 1927 Chrysler 60 and a Jaguar E-Type | Barn Find Hunter Ep. Thx. Dean was driving around 55-60 miles per hour. The car is said to have fallen from its display while on show in Sacramento, breaking the hip of a bystander. There's a summary of FailureAnalysis's findings within this article: http://www.exponent.com/about/news/archives/2005/09/27/22.48.15/. The public was shocked by James Deans death as he was a young and promising actor. Thanks for your help! Some twenty years ago, my wife Rhonda and I took a trip up to Fairmount to visit James Dean country. But there were no available tables at the Villa Capri either. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? If I had to guess, that sure looks like a 70-80 mph impact. Imagine that, killing James Dean and never wanting to talk about it. Four days after the crash, Rebel Without a Cause was released. A road sign rises from the median between the converging lanes ominously proclaiming it as James Dean Memorial Junction. Eschrich installed the Porsches engine into his Lotus IX race car, then loaned the transmission and suspension parts to fellow doctor and racer Troy McHenry. 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. 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 decades ago, has died at age 63. Because it was twilight and the color of James's car blended in with the sky Donald couldn't see him. He won a race for novices at Palm Springs, Calif. driving his No. Wtherich returned to Germany where he became a successful rally co-driver in the 1960s but reportedly never got over the 1955 crash physically or emotionally. > You said much the same thing here when we discussed this in 1999. Both Turnupseed and Dean's mechanic Rolf Wutherich were unscathed in the horrific accident. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Turnupseed was only slightly injured with facial bruises and a bloody nose. Got it? Should dogs put their heads out car windows? 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. However Deans riding mechanic Wtherich, a former Luftwaffe glider pilot, recommended that they unloose the car instead by driving it the 300 miles from Hollywood to Salinas so Dean could get more seat time behind the wheel before the race. Thesimulation contains the stop sign; you can see it. Details of James Deans last hours on earth have been well documented but are worth revisiting. The Fresno Bee followed up with a newspaper story exactly two months later, stating that the fire occurred on the night of March 11 and only slight damage occurred to the Spyder without any damage to other cars or property in the garage. The collection of 30 photographs have now emerged for sale $20,000 with RR Auctions of Boston. We were toured around the community by a couple of older gentlemen who graciously pointed out spots the young actor frequented including the family farm, Deans old high school, a few of the old stores Dean used to frequent, the cemetery and the funeral home where Dean was prepared for burial. 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. What became of James Deans car after the accident? On that fateful Friday, Wtherich sat next to Dean, while Hickman followed with his truck and trailer. https://deadwrite.wordpress.com/tag/donald-turnupseed/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_James_Dean, THE BARRIS STUFF | Page 3 | The H.A.M.B. All Rights Reserved. Today, the intersection has been widened and theres a left-turn lane to access Highway 41 requiring a stop and a 90-degree turn. 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. 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. ). He 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. Dean had been given the crude nickname by stunt driver Bill Hickman and the star decided to call his Porsche the same name. These are the only three such snapshots of the wreck in existence. . He turned and found himself face to face with James Dean. The Spyder struck the Ford. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. The car itself is a thing of absolute beauty, and its speed and power were enough to lure Dean into making a deal for it. I remember the night when Dad> reported the news at home. From 1957 to 1959, the exhibit toured the country in various custom car shows, movie theatres, bowling alleys, and highway safety displays throughout California. In Touch Weekly is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. Barris offered $1,000,000 to anyone who could produce the remains of the deathcar, but no one ever came forward to claim the prize. "As a business person, (DonaldTurnupseed) learned from his dad. The accident probably caused Turnupseed to be more private still, Paggi said. He was headed to his Central . Hold your arm straight out. The driver of that car was a college student by the name of Donald Turnupseed and he was only injured in the crash. 22:45 GMT 25 Jul 2019. Without time to turn, the two cars smashed nearly head-on. Taped theshow! The directly-measured results are frequently way off what thecops at the scene would conclude from simply looking at damage anddistance. From the location of the vehicles and the damage to thecars, an engineer working for Failure Analysis Inc. calculated thatDean was in fact not speeding at the time the two cars hit. It may take a week or two to get . Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Dean became a cultural icon immediately after his death. There are other unconfirmed stories of Little Bastards post-accident life. Both Dean and Turnupseed were pronounced dead at the scene. Thanks, Shirley, but I don't think I get that channel! He was 63. They reported that both cars were traveling at high speeds and that Deans car had passed Turnupseeds moments before the collision. Turnupseed developed a fondness for cars while a student at TulareUnion High School in the 1940s when he got a Model A, said Al Paggi,owner of Paggi Electric. Most people just don't THINK and are either in denial or don't care about living. When he reached the Route 41 junction, he went to take a left turn - not noticing the small silver Porsche headed in the opposite direction. As his star (and income) began to rise, he graduated to the Spyder 550, an ultra-low, rear-engined sports-racer that cost $7000 in the States, the equivalent of two new Cadillacs in 1955. The road shimmers along this route, making it hard to tell where the road ends and the horizon begins. (Unless the production designer for> THE GREEN BERETS was somehow involved.). There was a problem getting your location. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. "You could never get close to Don." The business owner was quiet even before the crash, Paggi said. According to Barris, during those years 1956 to 1960, a mysterious series of accidents, not all of them car crashes, occurred involving the car resulting in serious injuries to spectators and even a truck drivers death. Although the legendary car has disappeared, Historic Auto Attractions in Roscoe, Illinois, claims to have an original piece of Deans Spyder on display. Extensive investigation of the accident never established guilt, saidC.R. 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. Mr Dooley, now 65, was 15 when he saw Dean's frail Porsche demolished, leaving it little more than a mangled mass of. Unlike his father, Donald Turnupseed was likeable, but not outgoing, Paggi said. What did witnesses say about the accident? Dean spotted an oncoming black-and-white 1950 Ford Custom coupe heading east on Rt. I have no choice but to drive with headlights in the daytime. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Parking and walking over to the spot where James Dean died is a dangerous exercise on this remote, but very busy highway. 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. Dean died instantly. 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. > Dean was heading west from Bakersfield to join the 101 at Paso Robles. Try again later. A man named Donald Turnupseed was driving a Ford truck. Shell do a hundred and fifty, replied Dean. It was Barris who created the Batmobile, the Beverly Hillbillies truck, the Munster Koach and Grandpa Munsters Drag-U-La casket car used in the 1960s TV series. Dean was killed instantly, but Little Bastard would go on to cause considerably more trouble.