10 Famous People Who Died in Car Crashes

8. James Dean

James Dean was a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment during the 1950s. Jis most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause, demonstrated this. Dean became interested in auto racing in 1954 and was scheduled to race in Salinas, California on September 30, 1955. As he and his entourage were traveling to the event via U.S. Route 466, a vehicle in front of him made a hesitant turn. Dean was unable to stop slamming directly into the side of the Ford Tudor. The young actor suffered a broken neck and was attended to by a passerby before being taken to the hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival shortly after he arrived at the Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital. Dean’s premature death in the car crash cemented his legendary status. Dean became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and remains the only actor to have had two posthumous acting nominations.