The 10 Most Famous Car Accidents in History
Every year, thousands of lives are abruptly ended by automobile accidents. Not surprisingly, these include some pretty well-known pop culture icons. In the following countdown of 10 most famous car accidents, celebrities prove that despite tremendous wealth and power, they are still vulnerable to roadway catastrophe.
Consistent with national statistics, speeding was the most common cause of death for the unfortunate members of this list, as well as intoxicated and distracted driving – or some combination of the three, were also to blame. Most of these infamous stars were under 40 – and some were much younger.
#10: Sam Kinison
Who: Standup Comedian
Accident: Head-on collision
Cause: Intoxicated driving
Place: Needles, California
Date: April 10, 1992
Age: 38 years old
In the eighties, loud-mouth comedian Sam Kinison was involved in several drunk driving accidents. Yet, the one that killed him happened while he was sober.
At the time, Kinison had recently married and was successfully pursuing help for his longtime addiction to drugs and alcohol. He was traveling to perform at a sold out show in Laughlin, Nevada, when an intoxicated 17 year-old in a pickup truck drove across the center line and slammed into the front of Kinison's car.
#9: Billy Martin Jr.
Who: Manager of the New York Yankees
Accident: Low speed vehicle collision
Cause: Icy road conditions, possible intoxication
Place: Binghamton, New York
Date: December 25, 1989
Age: 61 years old
Other victims: William Reedy (friend), seriously injured
Billy Martin Jr is best known as the highly confrontational “firey” manager of the New York Yankees. Although difficult to work with, Martin is credited with leading the Yankees to a 1977 World Series victory and had several triumphs as a player and as a manager.
It was Christmas night when Martin, who’d been drinking heavily, handed his keys to his friend, William Reedy. As the two men approached the frozen driveway of Martin’s home, the truck skidded off road and went down an embankment. Martin was not wearing a seatbelt and was flung through the windshield. He died instantly.
Reedy, who had volunteered as the designated driver, was later charged after tests revealed his Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was slightly above legal limit.
#8: Ryan Dunn
Who: Stuntman for MTV’s Jackass
Accident: Ejected from road
Cause: Intoxicated speeding
Place: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: June 20, 2011
Age: 34 years old
Other Victims: Zach Hartwell (stunt car driver), died.
When police arrived at the accident scene, Ryan Dunn’s Porsche was engulfed in flames. The vehicle’s body was completely shattered - a car door, flung from impact, was the only remains used for identification. The local police chief said it was the worst accident he’d ever scene.
Hours before the 2:30 am incident, someone posted a picture on Twitter of Dunn drinking at a nearby restaurant. Investigations later revealed Dunn had a 0.196 percent Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) -- more than double the legal limit. He'd been traveling as much as 140 miles per hour when his car flew from the highway and crashed into a roadside forest - leaving a 100 foot skid mark directly behind.
The parents of Zach Hartwell eventually sued Dunn’s estate, claiming the deceased driver was responsible for the death of their son.
#7: Bessie Smith
Who: Blues Singer
Accident: Rear-end sideswipe
Cause: Distracted driving
Place: Clarksdale, Mississippi
Date: September 26, 1937
Age: 43 years old
Bessie Smith had long solidified her status as the top female blues singer in America – she regularly preformed with Louise Armstrong and was considered a personal inspiration by Billy Holiday.
On the night of the accident, Smith was found in the middle of Route 61 lying in a half pint of blood with a partially severed arm. The driver of the vehicle had slipped into a daydream on a long, straight stretch of monotonous highway, and misjudged his distance from the tractor trailer in front. When the truck stopped suddenly, he tried to swerve and ended up sideswiping the vehicle.
Smith’s body received the majority of the impact. She was discovered living, but by the time an ambulance from the segregated black hospital arrived, the famous singer perished.
#6: Paul Walker
Who: Actor (Fast and the Furious, Varsity Blues)
Accident: Collided with concrete lighting poles
Cause: Speeding
Place: Santa Clarita, California
Date: November 30, 2013
Age: 40 years old
Other Victims: Roger Rodas (friend, financial adviser)
Paul Walker had taken a break from filming the seventh sequel of Fast & Furious and was on his way to a charity event when the accident happened.
Police found the Porche crumpled and ablaze – the two bodies burnt beyond recognition.
The widow of Rodger Rodas, who was driving Walker, would later sue the automakers. Yet, investigations found neither mechanical failure nor driver intoxication was present at the time of the accident. The sole cause was a need for speed – Rodas’s vehicle had been traveling over 93 mph.
#5: Cliff Burton
Who: Bassist for Metallica
Accident: Bus rolled
Cause: Undetermined
Place: Ljungby, Sweden
Date: September 27, 1986
Age: 24 years old
Cliff Burton might be alive today if he’d drawn a different card.
When the accident happened, Metallica was touring overseas, hot off the breakthrough success of their first commercial album “Master of Puppet” and Burton was considered the top thrash-metal bassist in the world. The driver lost control of the band’s tour bus and Burton - who was fast asleep in the coveted top bunk he’d won through a card draw - was thrown from the side window and then crushed as the vehicle toppled over him.
The driver claimed he’d hit black ice, but bandmates contested, believing he'd either fallen asleep at the wheel or was under the influence. A later investigation found no evidence to support these accusations.
#4: Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes
Who: Rapper/Singer from TLC
Accident: Vehicle rolled
Cause: Speeding, distracted driving
Place: Roma, Honduras
Date: April 25, 2002
Age: 30 years old
Lisa Nicole Lopes, better known as Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes, was on a volunteer mission in Honduras, a trip she made regularly, when her rented Mitsubishi Montero went off road and tipped over.
According to reports, she did not have a license to drive in that country and was probably speeding. The vehicle, which was carrying 8 to 10 passengers, rolled several times throwing Lopes to the ground.
The singer landed on her head and died immediately. Press videos documenting the moments before the event, show Lopes passing a Coca Cola box to a passenger.
#3: Steve Prefontaine
Who: Olympic Runner
Accident: Collision with a wall
Cause: Intoxicated driving
Place: Eugene, Oregon
Date: May 30, 1975
Age: 24
Steve Prefontaine was a record breaking track star set to bring home 1976 Olympic gold. He liked to celebrate his victories with drinks. After a solid hometown performance, where he won a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) meet, Prefontaine attended a post-competition party.
No one, including his girlfriend, considered him too drunk to drive home - he wasn’t slurring and his motor skills appeared fine. Later, after authorities discovered his body trapped beneath his convertible, an autopsy revealed Prefontaine had a 0.16 percent BAC - high enough to earn jail time in the state of Oregon.
Prefontaine was discovered live and conscious by a neighbor, but by the time medics arrived, the charismatic runner was dead.
#2: James Dean
Who: Actor (East of Eden, Rebel without a Cause)
Accident: T-bone collision
Cause: Reckless speeding
Place: Cholame, California
Date: September 30, 1955
Age: 24 years old
Other Victims: Rolf Wütherich (Dean’s Mechanic), serious injuries
Two hours before the accident claimed his life, James Dean had been pulled over for speeding. The rising movie star had recently taken up competitive road racing and was on his way to a competition in Salinas, California.
Following advice from his mechanic, who was riding in the passenger seat, Dean decided to put some “break-in” miles on his brand new Porsche 550 Spyder. When twenty-three year-old Donald Turnupseed made a left hand turn into Dean’s lane, the results were fatal. Dean was later determined responsible, despite having the right-of-way, due to the excessive speed of his vehicle.
#1: Princess Diana
Who: Princess of Wales
Accident: Collided with tunnel pillar
Cause: Intoxicated speeding
Place: Paris, France
Date: August 31, 1997
Age: 36 years old
Other victims: Dodi Fayed (companion), Henri Paul (driver), both died
After her divorce from Prince Charles, and the subsequent exposes into her personal and marital strife, Princess Diana was a constant fixture in mainstream media. Initially, it was reported that her driver crashed that fateful night because he was trying to outrun the paparazzi. Autopsy reports later indicate the driver was also under the influence of alcohol, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics.
Diana was barely conscious when police arrived. Cameras surrounded the accident scene. “Leave me alone,” were the princesses final words.