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. Help us keep history alive. It's just that, if I don't make ahabit of doing it *every* time, I probably wouldn't do it *any* time.Since I've lived most of my adult life in Seattle, it was kind of amoot point anyway. According to the postmortem report, it is believed that Dean's head impacted with the front grill of the other car. No one is denying Dean got aticket. All Rights Reserved. The Ford suddenly began to turn left to head northwest on 41. It was a very, very odd, spooky experience. See Photos of Your Favorite Stars Going Topless, Lets Go to the Beach! Donald Gene Turnupseed 1932 - 1995 . Shortly before 5pm, Dean was traveling east on Route 46 when he collided with a Ford Tudor driven by Donald Turnupseed, who was turning At, Regarding the James Dean crash: My father with the attending physician for, James Dean's last words: "That guy's got to stop! Try again. Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Curse of James Dean. The impact sent the Ford almost 40 feet down the road and ejected Wtherich from the Porsche. There's a summary of FailureAnalysis's findings within this article: http://www.exponent.com/about/news/archives/2005/09/27/22.48.15/. Barris welded aluminum sheet metal over the caved-in left front fender and cockpit. These are the only three such snapshots of the wreck in existence. Hickman and Roth arrived at the scene approximately ten minutes after the crash. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Guinness and Moss followed Dean to the restaurant, but before they reached the door, Dean stopped and said, Id like to show you something. Years later, Guinness recalled There in the courtyard of this little restaurant was this little silver thing, very smart, all done up in cellophane with a bunch of roses tied to its bonnet. The young method actor told his new British star, Its just been delivered, said Dean I havent even been in it at all. Guinness thought the car looked sinister. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Hickman assisted in extricating Dean from the wreckage while Roth took photographs of the crash. 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. We didnt see him as a big shot from Hollywood, we saw him as a guy trying to steal our dates.. There was an error deleting this problem. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. what happened to donald turnupseed car. PARTII, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Curse of James Dean. The accident probably caused Turnupseed to be more private still, Paggi said. Privacy Policy. Unlike his father, Donald Turnupseed was likeable, but not outgoing,Paggi said. 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 collection of 30 photographs have now emerged for sale $20,000 with RR Auctions of Boston. Turnupseed was gradually turning left to take the turn towards Highway 41 at the intersection. (*) I guess it's not a secret anymore . Weve updated the security on the site. In March of 1959, while in storage in Fresno, the car mysteriously caught fire. Dean tried to swerve, but collided almost head on with Turnupseed's 1950 Ford Tudor. 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. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Imagine that, killing James Dean and never wanting to talk about it. Go seeit. > Regarding the James Dean crash: My father with the attending physician for> James Dean's mechanic, Rolf Wuertherich. Regardless, the story of the curse has certainly failed to diminish the James Dean legend. We need all the help we can get out there on the roads and being *seen* is the most important of all. 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. The curse of James Deans car has become a part of Americas cultural mythology. Guinness had already received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in The Lavender Hill Mob in 1951. 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. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Paggi said. Stop sign or not,though, Turnupseed turned into Dean's lane; there were skid marks toprove it. The 48-year old company which employs andaverage of 75 workers, has branch offices in Bakersfield and Fresno andannual sales of about $15 million. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Mark Gordon arrives at Crawley Police Station after remains found, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. His body was battered, and there were numerous broken bones and cuts. In order for > James Dean to be moving at any significant speed he had to have run the stop > sign and then into the right side of Turnipseed's car.> > 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. The Spyder also reportedly fell on and killed George Barkus, the driver who transported it to a road-safety expo. 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. What did the police report say about the accident? ). Copyright 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. "That's something that bothered him his whole life. from Paso Robles to Fresno to see a girl friend. The public was shocked by James Deans death as he was a young and promising actor. > Dean was heading west from Bakersfield to join the 101 at Paso Robles. After receiving the citations, Dean and Hickman turned left onto SR 166 / 33 to bypass Bakersfields congested downtown district. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 3, No Shirt, No Problem! It may take a week or two to get . Where Highway 41 merges into Highway 46, on a barbed-wire fence off the westbound lane, is a small memorial signifying the spot where Deans Porsche skidded to a stop. 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. Failed to report flower. For one thing, motorcycles(required to have illuminated headlamps at all times) wouldn't standout nearly as well if everyone did the same thing.-- _+_ From the catapult of |If anyone disagrees with any statement I make, I_|70|___:)=}- J.D. The cause of the fire is unknown. Deans performance as Jim Stark, the confused teenager with doting but clueless parents, came to epitomize brooding adolescent behavior. A week after that dinner at the Villa Capri, James Dean was dead. The business owner wasquiet even before the crash, Paggi said. Turnupseed received a gashed forehead and bruised nose and was not cited by police for the accident. (jalopyjournal.com), What happened to Donald Turnupspeed's shoebox? There are interior shots of the wreckage of Dean's car, and one snap reveals the 'Little B*****d' sticker on the bonnet and his racing number, '130'. Sixteen-year-old Dooley was travelling behind then-23-year-old student Donald Turnupseed when the wreck happened. "He's been bothered by people constantly trying to write a story. Although he was involved in the fatal crash, I think it's takingthings a bit far to say he "killed" Jamess Dean. Dean died almost instantly as a result of several injuries, including a broken neck. The car is said to have fallen from its display while on show in Sacramento, breaking the hip of a bystander. There you will see the lipstick spotted grave marker covered by more kisses than the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If they care so much about *me*, they should try to involve being involved in an accident for their own sake if not anybody else's. 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. Dean and his mechanic, Rolf Wutherich, were en route to a car race in Salinas on Sept. 30, 1955, when the fatal crash occurred. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Got it? 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. 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). Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. 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. The group gathered for coffee and donuts at the Hollywood Ranch Market on Vine Street before leaving around 1:15 p.m. The. At the Pomona Sports Car Races on October 21, 1956, Eschrich, driving this car, was involved in a minor scrape with another driver. 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 . 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. But he keptclose ties to the business, Nelson said. Try again later. Hunter at Mettler Station on Wheeler Ridge, just south of Bakersfield, for driving 65 mph in a 55 mph zone. Recently, as post-accident"black box" downloads have become common, investigators have begun torealize just how bad all those analyses have been all those yearsbefore. Stephanie survived. Dean was driving directly into> the sun. In 2005, for the 50th anniversary of Deans death, the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois, announced they were displaying what was purported to be the passenger door of the Little Bastard. He was only 24 years old. Look at this 2004 Turbo Cabriolet, and at the Porsche 550 Spyder that actor James Dean was driving in 1955 when his life ended, and a legend began, after crashing into Donald Turnupseed's Ford. His mechanic was a passenger. "More than likely," he said. Meanwhile, Barris had sold a pair of tires from the 550 and both reportedly blew at the same time, causing the new owner to career off the road. He suffered a broken neck and massive internal and external injuries. 23-year-old Donald Turnupseed, the driver of the Ford Tudor, had been traveling east on Highway 466 and was attempting to make a left turn onto Highway 41. Some believe that Barris, ever the showman, fabricated that story as a way of keeping the cars mystique alive. 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. "It was never establishedwhose fault it was. Dean was pronounced dead on arrival at 6:20 p.m. by the attending emergency room physician, Dr. Robert Bossert. At 5:45 PM on September 30, 1955, Donald Turnupseed was headed east on Route 466 in his 1950 Ford. He later switched to cattle and agriculture. American Folk Figure. Cars and trucks speed by in both directions and anything short of a cautious drive by is not recommended. Why Do I Hear Water Sloshing Around In My Car. The lawyer, Robert Coyle, kept hold of them after the case was dropped and they were inherited by his son who has now consigned them for sale for the first time. The racers road went directly to Blackwells Corner at U.S. Route 466 (later SR 46). The car was sold for parts and eventually melted down. In his 1974 book Cars of the Stars George Barris first wrote about the curse and the numerous incidents involving fatal accidents and other serious injuries, but other than the few minor mishaps reported here, researchers have found no evidence to support most of Barris claims. 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. They remarked that when the young method actor returned to Fairmount after making a Pepsi commercial and a bit part on TV, Dean attended a high school dance. 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. On the other hand, getting aticket does have a way of gentling you down for a while. This impact and the accompanying crash resulted in Dean suffering a broken neck . As Reventlow and Kessler were leaving, they all agreed to meet for dinner that night in Paso Robles. The. . > You said much the same thing here when we discussed this in 1999. In that same race, a Dr. McHenry was killed when his race car went out of control and struck a tree. Highway officials report that 42 deaths occurred on the road during the 45 years after James Deans passing. ", Turnupseed's family declined to be interviewed for this story. Nelson arrived just in time to see an unconscious and dying Dean being placed into an ambulance. An eyewitness reported James Dean's car had somersaulted several times . Donald turned left where the . I always drive the route when going to visit home (LA) and theintersection where the crash occurred is somewhere off to theright of the present intersection, so it is hard to say whathappened just by driving through there. Baldwin |am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also\ / [email protected]|to deny under oath that I ever made it. Donald Turnupseed was an American college student who on March 22 1955 while driving to college collided with and killed James Dean. 'Our father was the attorney for Donald Turnupseed. Failed to remove flower. Oops, we were unable to send the email. At 5:45 PM on September 30, 1955, Donald Turnupseed was headed east on Route 466 in his 1950 Ford. And it was Barris who eventually came to own the deathcar. I do that all the time in light traffic on unpopulated roads. 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. 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. Thanks, Shirley! There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Some twenty years ago, my wife Rhonda and I took a trip up to Fairmount to visit James Dean country. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Donald Turnupseed was an American college student who on March 22 1955 while driving to college collided with and killed James Dean. Deans first races were run in a Porsche 356 Speedster, which he bought in March 1955. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. "The last 10 years he didn't do that much," Nelsonsaid, "He devoted a lot of time to business. Around 5:45 p.m., a black-and-white 1950 Ford Tudor Custom coupe traveling at high speed was headed east on Route 466 just west of the town of Shandon. He talks of hearing the car is in Eureka. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. I refer you once again to the web page I cited. Donald Turnupseed, escaped the accident with only a gashed forehead and bruised nose. This account has been disabled. A witness reported it doing cartwheels and smashing into the ground several times. He handed control of hiscompany to Nelson last year as his lung cancer progressed. 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. This bypass became known as the racers road, a popular short-cut for sports car drivers going to Salinas. Maybe I'm tripping on that. . He won a race for novices at Palm Springs, Calif. driving his No. 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. The vendor, also called Robert Coyle, said: 'These are official photos taken at the scene after the crash. (FA is now known as Exponent, Inc., hence the domain name.). Donald Turnupseed spent his entire life refusing to talk about James Dean. 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. He died while still filming Giant but its release confirmed his star status. The police report concluded that Dean was at fault for the accident. James Dean Crash site It seems like iremember something about him getting arrested for flying in drugs in a small plane? Four days after the crash, Rebel Without a Cause was released. He ran a very successful electrical contracting business for most of the time since the accident before dying of lung cancer in 1995. 22:45 GMT 25 Jul 2019. if you get in that car you will be found dead in it by this time next week.. The car landed in a crumpled heap with Dean still inside. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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 September 30, 1955. . To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The impact sent Turnupseed's heavy Ford sliding 39 feet down the highway, but the Spyder, a much lighter car, was propelled into the air. Mildly customized 1950 Ford owned by Donald Turnupseed. A German journalist was the last the call, Nelsonsaid. Interesting that Turnupseed did all his own cutomizing, paint work, etc. The day was beginning to fade, and only a black-and-white Ford Tudor car, driven by Donald Turnupseed, a 23-year-old student, was traveling in the opposite direction on 466. 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. I always drive with mylights on. I secretly(*) hope they will have a wreck, but just not involve me! "You could never get close to Don." The business owner was quiet even before the crash, Paggi said. She was not decapitated like people say. What kind of car did James Dean have? "They had a chance to fix it beforedown time.". After being interviewed by the CHP, Turnupseed hitch-hiked in the dark to his home in Tulare. Turnupseed died of cancer in 1995. Turnupseed's car was struck by a speeding silver grey PorscheSpyder driven by Dean, who at 24 was the star of three major films. Resend Activation Email. 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. To support this page: https://www.patreon.com/ScottMichaelsBe notified first: http://tiny.cc/SubscribetoDearlyDepartedPaypal: [email protected]. 131, A charged debate: Battery maintenance tech explained. How fast is it? he asked. Dean was the unwilling recipient of a steering wheel and dash, while his luckier passenger was ejected from the car. In Touch Weekly is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. There are other unconfirmed stories of Little Bastards post-accident life. Dean died instantly. The two lanes have remained virtually unchanged since then, while the population of the southern San Joaquin Valley has grown 120% since the crash. 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. I'm also willing to believe that Dean blew throughthe stop sign, not expecting Turnupseed to turn into the oncoming lane. But they never shorted anybody on their work.". Guinness had an ominous feeling on seeing the Porsche and would later write in his diary: The sports car looked sinister to me . Hickman assisted in extricating Dean from the wreckage. Sure, it'scircumstantial evidence, but it works pretty well to show how Dean wasinclined to be driving that night. I drove that intersection and left turn many times as I made the trip from Paso Robles to Fresno to see a girl friend. Your email address will not be published. There are 12 overhead views of the junction of Route 46 and Route 41, where the crash took place, and 18 ground-level photos, half of which show the damaged Porsche, wearing Dean's #130, in close-up detail. Cars appear and disappear in vaporous waves of prismic light like an optical illusion as light reflects off the road surface. Are 90 Day: The Single Life Stars Natalie and Josh Still Together? Another 38 were killed from 2000 to 2010. Despite a million-dollar reward for information being offered in 2005, Little Bastards whereabouts remain unknown. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. How> could the sun be setting behind him? See Paris Jackson's Transformation Over the Years, It's Over! Turnupseed was only slightly injured with facial bruises and a bloodied nose. The sun was behind Turnupseed, obscuring DEAN'S vision, if anyone's. wrote in message news:[email protected] http://www.snopes.com/autos/cursed/spyder.asp. Why this kind of inattentive driving isn't illegal everywhere is beyond me. Years later, hebuilt dune buggies, nelson said. Donald Turnupseed continued to live a relatively normal life after the accident. Dean only owned the Spyder, chassis number 550-0055, for a little more than a week before his September 30, 1955, crash. She suffered severe head trauma. California Highway Patrol Capt. Two Friendly Ghosts: Directed by Parker Ellerman. Dean was driving directly intothe sun. 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. This evidence consists of where> the cars came to rest, and the level of damage they sustained in the> collision. 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. More by Drew Dorian, Your email address will not be published. It can easily be missed unless you know its there. His father became an alcoholic and died a few years later. I can't tell you the number of times I've been able to easily see alights-on oncoming car against sun glare. However, as the wrecked chassis had no remaining integral strength, a rebuild proved to be a Herculean task, even for a wizard like Barris. A week before the fatal crash Dean met British actor Alec Guinness in Los Angeles. 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 mechanic Oh, hell, that's not so bad. The sheer velocity of the impact flipped Dean's car . ", Turnupseed was an innovator, including selling clients on preventativemaintenance programs, Nelson said. 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. The wrecked Spyder was declared a total loss by the insurance company, which paid Deans father, Winton, the fair market value as a settlement. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. Donald Turnupseed was driving the opposite direction as James. 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. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? The collision was witnessed by several passersby who stopped to help. See Photos of Joy-Anna Duggars Baby Bump as She Expects Baby No. Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody Over Money From Coyote Pass? Dean spotted an oncoming black-and-white 1950 Ford Custom coupe heading east on Rt. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Turnupseed's death was overshadowed by Dean's. The significance of all this means various things to various people here at the spot where the 24-year-old icon of disaffected youth died on Sept. 30, 1955, when he gunned his sports car down a. which presents an alternative history that tells us what might have happened if Dean had survived the crash. You can always change this later in your Account settings. "The last 10 years he didn't do thatmuch," Nelson said. 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