6:50 Lance Reventlow was the son of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. He was later married to Jill St. John, and also died young in a plane crash in 1972.
@@sisterluke Plot thickens. Robert Wagner was married to Natalie Wood. She drowned off the coast of Catalina Island in California in November 1981 after she went missing from the Splendour, her family's yacht. Also aboard that night were Captain Dennis Davern, Wagner, and fellow actor, Christopher Walken. The next day, Natalie was found floating in the water wearing a red down jacket and flannel nightgown. After a two-week investigation, the death ruled an accident. But, in 2011, the LA County Sheriff's Department reopened the death investigation. In 2012 the Los Angeles Coroner's Office amended the death certificate, changing the manner of death from an accidental drowning to "drowning and other undetermined factors." Wagner was named Person of Interest in the case.
Thank you for putting together this interesting and informative account of Deans last known movements. Using Google Earth and photo's from 55 add to the interest and offers greater clarity of then and now. Clear and concise narration throughout. Great job.
Great job pointing out the places in the last hours of James Dean's life. That 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder was quite the car back in those days. Only 1212 pounds with 108 HP 4 cylinder engine the car was super lightweight. The Big Ford Mr Turnupseed was driving weighed probably 4 to 5 times more in weight. Also after the crashed 550 Spyder was shown in Florida 1960 the transport truck crashed killing the truck driver but the wrecked body parts of his 550 were stolen off the truck. So the wrecked 550 Spyder is gone somewhere out there !
I appreciate your presentation! The photo's, time and dates, your descriptions and progressive narration certainly made sense and one can nearly feel themselves IN James Dean's 'day' as we moved along with him through this presentation. Bless his heart and this makes me, for one, feel closer to this gifted person many of us did/do not know personally but do feel more so now.
Before Interstate 5 was completed it was normal to drive through the Central Valley farm fields to get to the Northern Calif coast. I made that drive myself several times. On September 30th at 5:45 pm the sun would have been in Dean's eyes making hard to see on coming traffic. This was just before the time change that occurs in October. This could have been another factor that created the fatal chain of events. Thank you for sharing all this information.
Going the other way the low sun should have reflected off the silver Porsche. The driver of the hefty American sedan was most likely looking up 41 to begin his turn. Dean, who was obviously flying by ground, would have covered more distance in less time than the other driver would be expecting. He most likely would have seen it as clear until a speeding car entered the picture
Something I wanted to bring to your attention: reading a google review of the memorial site, a guy named Jay writes: "the actual road Dean was going west on no longer exists. On 9/30/1955 he got off 99 and took the old US 466 and was killed where it intersected with CA 41. the current CA 46 which replaced US466 was built slightly to the north and the old 466 was abandoned and since reclaimed by nature." Indeed, if you look just slightly south of the current CA 46, doesn't it look like there's an old, unmaintained path that runs parallel to the 46? Is it possible that the actual intersection is behind that barbed wire fence to the south?
at 7:47 it looks like the OLD ROAD is above the current intersection. I was at the site sunday. Near the make shift memorial, there is an OLD ROAD....all cracked up from the past....this old road runs east to west.
This is old news to those interested in this stuff but Bill Hickman was also Steve McQueen's driving coach in "Bullitt" and the guy who drove the Charger in the great car chase. Also in "The Seven Ups". You did a great job pinpointing the exact point where the crash occurred. We visited the spot over 20 years ago and the roads are so modernized now I'd recommend anyone going there to watch this first. I kind of feel sorry for the other guy in the crash. Not only do Dean fans most likely blame him for their idol's death, but he has to go through life with the name "Turnupseed".
Very well done video. Unfortunately he died slightly more south of the intersection than you show in the video. He wasn’t driving on highway 46, it wasn’t built yet. If you look at Google maps there is a flat dirt section that runs parallel to highway 46. This was on US Route 466 and the road James Dean was traveling on at the time of his death.
Yes, you can still see 466 that paralleled the new 46 to the South by only a few feet. So the crash spot is under the road. Just drove 46 in early August, 2002, and while a lot of 46 is 4 lane, this section is not. Maybe in another 5 years. So I usually take 101 South from Paso. But 46 should have been fixed 40 years ago. Too many people have died needlessly. The reason for so much traffic on 41 is the Avenal State prison.
I think the old road was still visible paralleling on the north. It was common for Ca DOT to upgrade roads by building a new one next to the old one, back in the '60s.
I've been on that road many, many times. What remains of the old road parallels Rte 46 for several miles, going back east from the junction of 41 & 46. I'll put up two Google map links below, one street view that shows the old tarmac still in place on the south side of 46. The new roadway crosses over the old one at least twice (so it is on both the north and south sides of the new roadway, but it is clearly visible in the following Google Earth shot; About 4 miles East of the accident site; goo.gl/maps/4oTwDj9XKymWB9oy6 Street view of the same area; goo.gl/maps/fp7Fn8oQEpAYVBmU9 The old road is there, cut into the hillside.
Another fantastic forensic accounting of a piece of history. Your videos are truly unique and bring the viewer along on a trip thru significant events that have been truly molded into our memories. Even though I'm late in finding your channel, I hope that there are many more to come! Thank you.
love your vids. just a friendly and subtle suggestion when utilizing the reference images: click on the ‘view image’ option so we can get the visual details you’re emphasizing for us to learn from. you’re a great presenter btw 👍🏽
a few additional notes. Seed entered real early into the turn like most people would he did not slow down as if to make a sharp left turn. He was a car guy and had just passed other cars that witnessed it from behind him. As he was sort of shaving the corner by entering early he then spotted Deans low tiny car and realized he was in his lane and veered back to the right trying to avoid him and dean swerved starting the car into a spin and hit the drivers side front of seeds car and flew up and over to where it came to rest. Neither car braked. Seconds before Dean passed cars and one noted their speed of 65 because they said Dean passed them as if they were standing still and the one guy saw what was coming and wife looked up for them both to witness the crash. He also confirmed Dean never hit brakes because it happens so fast. The farmer and wife estimated car was WELL over 80 mph or faster. Seed cannot be blamed because its normal to go left while someone is coming in your direction however the car was virtually invisible combined with small size can give perspective of normal car FURTHER AWAY. also the great speed of dean. Seed did not as much hit him as in the split second he was swerving back to avoid the turn-dean swerved and was virtually sideways when he then plowed into seed. so was seed also swerving in freak out manuever.
Wrong. There are skidmarks from BOTH cars indicating that they both saw each other in the last 2 seconds before impact. Their speed by the cops was estimated about 50mph at impact. Seconds before the impact, both cars were moving faster so the skidding helped slow down the vehicles to just 50mph.
Good work! I humbly disagree though with your resting place of the Porsche however. Even if Dean were only going the speed limit, the car would have gone considerably past where you speculate it ended. Odds are it was going very fast (and probably why the other guy miscalculated by making his left turn). The Porsche was hit on the left side, driver's side, was not head on impact, so it very easily could have rested where the memorial is. Thanks for the synopsis.
@@forresthaggertychannel4301 They know that Dean traveled 45 feet (roughly 3-4 car lengths) past impact point and Turnupseed traveled 36 feet-both in the general direction they were traveling. So if your impact point is correct, your stopping point is about right.
Watched an interview with Alec Guinness in which he recounted meeting James Dean in the first evening of his first visit to California. James Dean showed him his car and later in the conversation, Alec Guinness said to James Dean (and he said he doesn’t know quite why he said it), if you get in that car you will be dead by this time next week. Wild.
this was outstanding presentation one question i had was it certainly seemed a heck of a long distance from the gas station through the desert to the wreck point i'm surprised that little spider had a fuel tank big enough to make it that far especially if he was leadfooting it on the throttle
nice to know his details for that day. he did a lot if driving and may have been pretty fatigued and with that strange intersection. i don’t think it was his fault. Turnipseed should have seen him. rip, James Dean.
Excellent research and video. I've been past there many times - it's solemn. I wonder though about where Dean's car actually landed. If they were "breaking in" the engine (very, very plausible - especially on such a straight strip oh highway), how fast WAS he going? The kid likely was not good enough with his depth perception (being a younger driver) and simply thought he could make it (how many friends I've lost on bikes for the same reason?). That said; Dean also was headed West, at sundown, and likely also missed the kid - either due to the sun or watching his instruments. Either way, the world lost an important figure that day - for reasons we can only hypothesize on. You really did do an excellent job on this video. Thank you.
Why was Turnupseed not arrested? Surely that was man slaughter? It was a long straight road, how could he not see a car coming in the opposite direction. Love your channel, greetings from the UK.
Well done. Some items: 1) There is no such thing as a "porsh". The name of the car is pronounced "Por-Shuh". 2) I have a book on Dean that shows his route as 101 north to Hwy 46 west. I have been both ways. The route you show would probably be right. A lot less conspicuous, two lanes, would have allowed them to run at higher speeds. I-5 didn't yet exist. 3) He did get a second ticket somewhere along the way. Years ago Blackwell's Corner had a facsimile (pre photo copy) of it on the wall with many pictures. 4) Your second pronounciation of Lance Reventlow's name is the correct one. 5) Your descriptions of the intersection as it was then is also correct. 6) A number of years ago I took the route on one of the anniversary's of his death. I timed it to get to the intersection at about the same time as the crash. In addition to getting a really creepy feeling as I went thru there, the sun was really low. He would have been looking right into it which is a factor no one has ever brought up. 7) I have seen car magazines of the time which show his car as having gone off to the left, stopping in a farmer's field behind a barbed wire fence. 8) The mother of my ex-fiance was an emergency room nurse at the Paso Robles hospital. Years later, before her death, she revealed to the family that she was on duty that night. Contrary to the rumors he had faked his death, the government had taken him prisoner because of his affect on teenagers, etc, she said she saw his body and he was 100 percent dead. 9) Despite the improvements to the intersection fatal accidents, most commonly vehicles turning left from 46 onto 41, continue. Each time there are calls to put a freeway thru there.
@@jam9297 Porsche(por-sha) is the name of the family who first designed & developed the Volkswagen, then Porsche cars. They are actually a design firm whose work can be seen in varied form through out the world, from Yashica cameras to water-cooled Harley-Davidson engines. I'm sure you would not like someone butchering your last name.
Why would the mother of your ex fiancé keep it a secret till before her death. How bizarre. Are you sure she wasn't suffering dementia? I find her confession hard to believe. She would have been talking about it well before then. Did someone pay her to keep silent for some reason?
how great presentation is that? he can't pronounce fucking Porsche ! he can check TH-cam in a second ....,how the Porsche porununce ton of video is here ! and same ....with location names ..... he does not care all off them how their names spell.... I don't know why care for making fucking TH-cam videos ?!
Excellent videos with very extensive descriptions. How about doing one for Grace Kelly's accident and proximity to film To Catch a thief locations very close.. more videos please.
Interesting theory of the crash location. Assuming the road was adjusted to its current location as you hypothesize, there could be property records involving the land transfer from the prior owner to the government entity that controls the road. If so, these records could offer further proof and details of the specific crash location.
Thanks for this great video. By comparing street view and the old pictures I have the impression that the transition lane was the actual road back then. If so then the memorial would be at the exact right spot.
musicfan 2000 I could be wrong, but I’m fairly certain that transition lane wasn’t there in 1955. If you find any information saying it was please let me know.
Take a look at the website "discover central california/james dean memorial in cholame". They compare the photograph from the wreckage with the one from the memorial now and the hills in the background match exactly. Also note that the angle in the old photos only seems to be almost 90 degrees on the first look. If you look closely the angle is not that steep because the road and especially its depth and lenght does not seem to be rightly represented in the old pictures.
musicfan 2000 when I line up the center of both roads using google earth I still have him landing in the triangle at the center of the intersection. However, with what you shared with me it seems to be a little further west and south of the transition lane.
I just found another video on youtube called „James Dean Car Accident“ in which they overlay an old and a new photograph. Then they recreate the whole accident and if you compare the overview of this professional animation it matches perfectly with the transition lane in Google Earth.
People say that the original turn was at around the 7:55 point in this video explaining why the memorial is where it is. Kind of makes sense. They say Turnupseed was going 55 MPH and would’ve had to make a hard left if the turn was where you say the crash took place. Turnupseed was a local and knew he could make the easy turn at 55 MPH at the “original turn” down by the memorial. I’m not sure of how this area was reconstructed but it just seems easier to make that easy left at 55 MPH down where the memorial is. One other thing is the location of the memorial to the wooden Jack Ranch sign that’s just down the road in the direction that Dean was headed. It seems to line up better to where the memorial is. If you look at photos you can see the Jack Ranch sign in the background at the right turn.
The Grapevine or I-5 also didn't exist in 1955 as you showed it. You have to find the old Ridge Route parts of which still exist. You can pick up a part of it off hwy 138 east of I-5 out of Gorman. It's my contention Turnupseed saw the Porsche. The accident happened at 5:30 pm so the sun would've been at Donald's back. Also from that intersection looking east you can see over half a mile of road as you can see on the overhead view. That straight stretch east of before the intersection is all downhill. What I believe happened was Dean really opened the Porsche up on the downhill run the half mile before the intersection and Turnupseed saw him and thought he could make the turn, badly misjudging Dean's speed. I've driven through here hundreds of times and have witnessed numerous near misses of people in a hurry to get home from a weekend on the coast and turning in front of oncoming traffic. This intersection is not that much different from then to today. You still have to make a left onto Hwy. 41. In 1955 hwy 46 was US hwy 446. Lance Reventlow was the son of Barbara Hutton the heiress of the Woolworth Dept. Store fortune. He built the Scarab race cars which ran in Formula 1 races in Europe in the 1950s until 1960. He was a very famous racer in United States motorsports history.
I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT HANCOCK PARK ELEMENTARY, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE FARMERS MARKET, IN L.A.~HE WAS AT THE DONUT SHOP THERE BEFORE HE STARTED HIS TRIP THAT DAY. AND STRANGELY, I LIVED IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX YEARS LATER ON SUTTON WAY, CLOSE TO THE HOME HE RENTED THAT DAY IN 1955. I WENT TO THE 50TH. ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRASH SITE IN 2010 AND SOLD T SHIRTS I HAD MADE UP WITH A GRAPHICS PROGRAM IN MY COMPUTER..HE WAS A GREAT TALENT WITH A SUDDEN SAD ENDING...
The small log cabin type house on Sutton Street that James Dean was leasing is no longer there. It was torn down years ago. There is a large newer house there now.
Great little piece of work, brother. Damn man, you sure do the research. Sky's the limit, I'm thinking about ten people and places I'd love to see ya do
I drove that road, same time of day, 11 years to the day later. the sun was almost at road level right into Dean's eyes. he would have had difficulty seeing ahead of him. At the estimated speed Dean was covering 140feet every second. ONE FOOTBALL FIELD EVERY TWO SECONDS. (From tine of day of the receipt for the food stop to TOD of the accident and the distance between those 2 points it was concluded ~95mph.. The legal limit in 1966 was 45mph - 66ft/sec. How long dies it take to complete a turn at the "legal speed" and when you look at on coming traffic, YOU expect cars coming at you do be doing the limit. When the guy looked ahead and started his turn - Dean SEEMED to be far enuf away (several seconds at 66ft/sec) If Dean HAD NOT BEEN SPEEDING the guy could have safely made the turn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@M Detlef A football field in the USA is 300 feet long! 100 yards (10 - ten yard segments)!!. That's why the best seats in the stadium are on the FIFTY yard line - center of the field. Where did you go to school and did you make it past 4th grade? DUMBASS ASS ASS ASS!
@M Detlef PS at 140ft/sec it is slightly more than 2 seconds for a 100 yard distance. 2.143 seconds to be precise lest the numbers cops be upset like the kybd fuzz. SCC4B.
A computer simulation done several years ago determined Dean was driving about 57 mph based on the distance between the point of impact and the position of the car after the impact. It is my understanding that the intersection was moved south of where it had been in 1955 in order to make it safer.
You researched this. I did not. But I will say that from watching another video on this, that poster indicated that the current roads are not the same as the originals in which Dean was operating. He said that you can still see the original road to the immediate north of the current roadway. On your Google images if you look up to the 1 o’clock position, you can see old pavement that has the same shape of the original intersection and it appears to me that the other poster is correct that, that was the actual intersection at the time and new roadways have been constructed right next to them. According to him, all the pavement that is currently driven on by vehicular traffic was laid after Dean’s death. Look at the Google images and you will see the sections of old pavement, and the old intersection looks like a perfect match from the 1955 photos. Thank you for the video. It was excellent nevertheless.
Great sadness, most of his fans are dead or close, so were James Dean Died is unimportant, how he lived and what he left us, all of us, Is the important part of his story.
It’s weird TH-cam suggested this video. I know the whole crash story but in the past couple of years, I hadn’t really came across anything regarding James Dean. But then literally in the past few weeks I’ve been seeing things about him randomly. At a toy store I saw what I believe was the same toy model car he drove along with the same number on the side so that got me thinking of him. Then at my local Denny’s, there’s a painting of James at a roadside gas station just hanging out smoking a cigarette next to the porche. I had not even gone to that Denny’s in years and I found myself there twice recently explaining to different friends who James Dean was. Now this video came up and I had not remotely watched anything in connection to him. Weird. Fun fact: I myself am from Salinas so that explains why our Denny’s has a James Dean painting :)
I have to agree with you ! As a former Flight Attendant I have spent many years of my life in the sky looking down and have the eagle eye like you to see these same things ... I think you are correct .. great investigation. As you may know their are reports that he was alive and might have lived if they put a neck brace on him as the ambulance also got in an accident taking him to hospital.... of course some say he was not driving it at the time and that the mechanic took his place at the last stop... but we will never know
Great video. I was at that mobile gas station back in 2007. People said the Manson family stopped at that gas station to wash the blood off themselves with the water hose they had there.
That was not a Mobil station in 1969. It was 'Casa de Petrol' (part of Casa de Cadillac) and was surmounted by a very large 'Standard Chevron' sign. I lived nearby at the time.
Good video. There are pictures of Turnipseed's Ford sitting at roughly a 45 to the intersection. It was totally mangled from the firewall forward. The worst of the damage was on the left side of the vehicle. Some pictures also show Dean's car in a dirt shoulder next to a wire fence. The brunt of the damage was also along the entire left side. After seeing this I am sort of confused. I remember reading the police accounts that Turnipseed said he didn't see Dean because of the sun. Unless I'm totally daft the sun should have been at Turnipseed's back. 49 Fords weren't heavy cars, but they were pretty stout. Dean was probably driving way too fast in a small silver bullet. In this case driver error on both sides.
Tanjay Miller. True. His car wasn't totally stock. Day/night mirrors were rare back then. Since his car wasn't totally stock it could have had dual exterior mirrors also. I'm going to do some playing later.
If you pause at 7:29 you can see the sun sets behind Turnipseed's direction. I was blinded really bad at sunrise out here where I live. Even with my visor down and sunglasses on. I could hardly see the lines on the shoulder for about 5 mins.
Tanjay Miller. Makes sense. I'm half a country away. In looking at Turnipseeds car it looks like there might have been a left mirror. The right side isn't shown. Given that the car had skirts, 55 Pontiac chrome, two-tone paint dual mirrors aren't out of question. Thank you for the sun factor.
Dean's car rode very low. With the silver color, it would have blended into the road that had an upward slope, at least in the distance, and was dusty. Easy to miss an unusually low-slung car coming at you fast, especially when you are riding up high and are used to other cars with a high profile. As for the sun, it could have been momentary blindness or distraction by Turnipseed from his mirrors or reflections or anything, the sun would have been at a very low angle behind him.
Have you seen the YT "James Dean Reconstruction" by Exponent Inc.? They use a computer simulation on the old road to show the view points of each driver. Since they knew where the crash occurred and Dean's car's final resting place, they calculated approximate speeds. They concluded that Dean wasn't speeding. The point of the crash impact at the intersection to the final resting place on the fence isn't that far; it is probably the same relative position you show here. Had he been speeding his car would have rested much further down the road. That YT was published on May, 2016. The current memorial spot is as good as any when it may never been known where Dean actually died. I knew those roads were reconfigured so the makeshift memorial site would have been close enough all things considered. If we knew where the exact spot was, people visiting the spot would likely get killed by the traffic, and I doubt if the state of California is going to reroute the highways to enshrine a "Rebel Without A Cause" site. Even the current site has some danger. If one is to stop and lay a reef they will probably park on the CA 41 shoulder as it curves and merges on to CA 46. For the ongoing traffic that wants to merge on to CA 46 westbound they will be looking to their left to adjust and judge their merging speed depending on the CA 46 traffic. While they're looking back, it is easily conceivable that a car parked to visit the Dean site could get creamed even if it is off the road and on the shoulder. This spot is a compromise. I remember visiting the grave site of Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner, NM. Actually two tourist places makes that claim; I went to the one most people recognize as the "one and only." People laid many coins on the gravesite, and placed different artifacts on the grave. However, I understand that, that graveyard was washed away during a flood years ago, and whoever was responsible for the upkeep of the cemetery wasn't sure at all where The Kid's grave was now. It is currently inside a large caged in area. So, what do you do about Billy's grave when tourist ask? Well, you pick a spot, a "this is close enough" spot and that will have to do and everybody seems somewhat satisfied. I suppose James Dean's memorial spot is such a place. If we aren't sure about where popular or historical figures' final moments were, we will "pick a close enough spot" and go with it. Finally, where Dean actually died may render the crash site as only that----a crash site, and not a death site. Depending on who or what you read, Dean died instantly, therefore the death site IS near the crash site. Others however say Dean was still alive at the site, but died enroute on the way to the hospital. Therefore he breathed his last somewhere on CA 46 westbound. Somewhere on CA 46 between the crash site and Paso Robles just isn't that sexy though for people who want to make some gesture like dropping a coin or reef, or take a photo of a tangible place. Again, as far as I'm concerned the current memorial site works for me, it's close enough with a caveat.
Nicely presented. I wonder if Calif. Dept. of Highways might have existing conditions map at time of new alignment & change at this intersection. Current Google Street View, labeled CA 41 Shandon, CA, dated June 2015, shows a sign on post in-between highways 41 & 46. Sign reads, James Dean Memorial Junction.
The car did not come to a stop between the hi-ways, it was by a fence line about where the memorial is. I've seen pictures of the car after the crash. Considering the cars speed at the time there's no way it could have come to rest where you said.
You are very correct in you assumption of the Crash. I to have assessed the Crash Sight also. I use to Drive Truck every week on that Hwy and use to Pull over up the Road where the Monument is, To get a Little Sleep. But you are right on your Observations of how the Road was when Dean Died and the Way it is Today. I had also thought that the little Road side Monument was in the Wrong Place. Great Video Thanks.
This is what I love about google earth, how you can get into the minutia of an old event and get a detailed feel for where the various locations were in relation to the story and how things have either changed or stayed the same etc. I spent a long time going over the North Hollywood shootout one day (well actually 2 or 3 days)and had a lot of fun figuring it all out. I've also looked at other murder sites around the world and find it all endlessly morbidly fascinating. Great site and an excellent job.
Fantastic video. Great job. I've done a lot of research myself. I didn't realize how close he made it to his destination. How long of a drive did he have left?
Google Earth is a fun hobby. I found his address as 14611 Sutton St. Sherman Oaks and I am looking at his house right now. Nice area. and good job on your analysis for where Dean's actual car crash occurred. It seems very plausible.
The Gas Station on Ventura/Beverly Glen was a Flower Shop next to that was a Auto Body Shop. That caught fire and now it's a dirt field. There starting to grade it for construction.
Great video my friend I got to admit I was waiting for you to screw it up. like you said a lot of people think the accident happened further down the road but your video is absolutely correct the intersection used to be a few hundred feet east of where it is now you did your homework
I strongly think the old road went through the middle of the big dirt triangle, and curved to the west a little. If you drop street view, you can see the old road pavement. The photo shows the road curbing west, but on google you noted that the road jogged to the east. Also, you implied his car came to rest only 100 feet away from the accident. That's way too short of a distance from the crash.
Can you please look into doing the following: Mountain Meadows Massacre, Donner Party Route, Tule Indian War (Battle Mountain in California), Lost Dutchman Mine & Alexander The Great Burial Site? Thank You So Very Much For Your Outstanding Work & Research. Thank You
The ticket Dean received on Hwy 99 is emphasized, suggesting you wanted to make it clear that it wasn't I-5. Am I right about that or is this a misinterpretation on my part? I-5 wasn't built at the time of the accident. Excellent job regardless. Thank you.
Wow. Looking at photos of Dean’s crashed car it looks like the impact initiated right in front of the Porsche’s left front tire. The steering wheel wound up almost in the passenger seat.
I was stationed in Ca during the early 80s My time was split between Rancho Del Cielo and Vandenberg. I visited the site of the wreck, and there was plenty of clear open roadway with great sight distance at that intersection. When I was there, the intersection was still pretty much the way it was at the time of the crash. What occured to me is that the Porsche was small and painted a color similar to the road surface. If Dean was pushing the speed any, I doubt the other driver even saw the small gray Porsche. Not far from the crash scene is/ was a small restaurant. The walls inside were covered news clippings, photos and other items related to the rash and passing of James Dean. RIP JD.
In 2001 my band was traveling to Monterey to play at the blues festival and we broke down about 50 yards from the spot he died. There were too many people in the van to ride with the tow truck so the nam called out his daughter who had a double-cab Ford truck....still too many people so myself and our harmonica player rode to Atascadero in the back of the truck. It's illegal to ride in a pickup bed in CA so we had to lay down so nobody could see us...I slept the whole way.
Hwy 46 has changed. It use to be where the dirt road is on that patch of land. That being the case, it throws off your whole Coordinates as to where it happened and his car came to a stop. His car would have actually been sitting where hwy 41 is now.
Fascinating stuff. However, I do disagree with you on the memorial site. I certainly haven't put as much effort in this as you have, but photos of the original crash scene indicate that 41 was straight and turned outward on 46, not inward. I would estimate that 41 came close to splitting that dirt patch in half and the memorial is very to close to the correct location of Deen's death. I could be wrong, but great work!
The interesting thing about his story is the missing porshe after the crash it was stored at his agents house he sold the motor to another racer who died in another crash. The chassis and body disappeared from a locked storage container 15 years ago. I think a museum ofeered a million dollars for information on it. His other Porsche he had before the spyder is also missing.
From what I've researched through the reports, he was still alive in the ambulance but the ambulance was hit by another car and thats what finished him off. I don't think many people know that about this accident.
The actual memorial site is approx 1/4 mile further west on the right. at a little restraunt serves the best blue berry pie. An displays the actual citiation he reseved earlier that day on 99. Fact!! ive been there. I'm an ex truck driver 43 years and one night real late I was tired had no idea that that was a famous site but I pulled into that restaurant about 3 in the morning and when I woke up I woke up to that Memorial right in front of me it was quite a quite a story for me so I wanted to share that
Interesting. The only uncertainty I can think of is that highway 41 might not have had the slight turn to the south where it intersects highway 46, at the time of James Dean's accident.
To think he signed a contract with Warner two weeks earlier that specifically stated he couldn't drive in a race and he made a commercial for teenage drivers about safe driving.
If I'm not mistaken, the documentary "Six Degrees of Helter Skelter" claims that the Mobile gas station that Dean stopped at, was the same place the Manson family stopped to clean up, after either the Tate, or Labianca murders, and they tried to plant one of the victim's wallets in the bathroom as a false lead. I can't remember the guy's name that made the documentary, but, like you, he researches the sites and stories behind infamous people and incidents. In his case, he centers his research on the Hollywood area, and extensively on The Manson Family.
Culmination of every second of James Dean's young life led inexorably to this final moment. Speed had to be the determining factor, as Dean's last words "He's [Turnupseed] got to see us" Maybe he did, maybe he didn't...he may have misjudged the closure rate of the approaching Porsche. Anyone who has driven a two-lane highway knows that things can fall apart in an instant. Hamlet's words: "This fell [Cruel] sergeant DEATH is strict in his arrest"
Ironically Lance Reventlow also died in a plane crash years later. He died in 1972 in a crash in Colorado. He was the only child of heiress Barbara Hutton by her second husband, who was some minor royalty in Europe. And I think he was the husband right before Cary Grant.
I was gonna give this video 20 seconds to see if it would hold my attention. Well, I watched the whole thing...nice presentation & narration.
Outstanding job on putting this together. Well-told, easy to follow description. Thanks! Tony in Oregon*
6:50 Lance Reventlow was the son of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. He was later married to Jill St. John, and also died young in a plane crash in 1972.
Jill St. John went on to marry Robert Wagner, at least I think that's the same woman.
@@sisterluke Plot thickens. Robert Wagner was married to Natalie Wood. She drowned off the coast of Catalina Island in California in November 1981 after she went missing from the Splendour, her family's yacht. Also aboard that night were Captain Dennis Davern, Wagner, and fellow actor, Christopher Walken. The next day, Natalie was found floating in the water wearing a red down jacket and flannel nightgown. After a two-week investigation, the death ruled an accident. But, in 2011, the LA County Sheriff's Department reopened the death investigation. In 2012 the Los Angeles Coroner's Office amended the death certificate, changing the manner of death from an accidental drowning to "drowning and other undetermined factors." Wagner was named Person of Interest in the case.
Thank you for putting together this interesting and informative account of Deans last known movements. Using Google Earth and photo's from 55 add to the interest and offers greater clarity of then and now. Clear and concise narration throughout. Great job.
5:00 Goddamn, that palm tree hasn’t grown at all in 60 years!
𝕮𝖚𝖈𝕶 𝕮𝖗𝖚𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖗 You should try watering it.
I noticed that too except when I realized the older photo was not from 60 years ago. was much more recent.
Great job pointing out the places in the last hours of James Dean's life. That 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder was quite the car back in those days. Only 1212 pounds with 108 HP 4 cylinder engine the car was super lightweight. The Big Ford Mr Turnupseed was driving weighed probably 4 to 5 times more in weight. Also after the crashed 550 Spyder was shown in Florida 1960 the transport truck crashed killing the truck driver but the wrecked body parts of his 550 were stolen off the truck. So the wrecked 550 Spyder is gone somewhere out there !
I appreciate your presentation! The photo's, time and dates, your descriptions and progressive narration certainly made sense and one can nearly feel themselves IN James Dean's 'day' as we moved along with him through this presentation. Bless his heart and this makes me, for one, feel closer to this gifted person many of us did/do not know personally but do feel more so now.
Before Interstate 5 was completed it was normal to drive through the Central Valley farm fields to get to the Northern Calif coast. I made that drive myself several times. On September 30th at 5:45 pm the sun would have been in Dean's eyes making hard to see on coming traffic. This was just before the time change that occurs in October. This could have been another factor that created the fatal chain of events. Thank you for sharing all this information.
Going the other way the low sun should have reflected off the silver Porsche. The driver of the hefty American sedan was most likely looking up 41 to begin his turn. Dean, who was obviously flying by ground, would have covered more distance in less time than the other driver would be expecting. He most likely would have seen it as clear until a speeding car entered the picture
@e james this has floated around for years. I've never seen Anything documenting this.
Something I wanted to bring to your attention: reading a google review of the memorial site, a guy named Jay writes: "the actual road Dean was going west on no longer exists. On 9/30/1955 he got off 99 and took the old US 466 and was killed where it intersected with CA 41. the current CA 46 which replaced US466 was built slightly to the north and the old 466 was abandoned and since reclaimed by nature." Indeed, if you look just slightly south of the current CA 46, doesn't it look like there's an old, unmaintained path that runs parallel to the 46? Is it possible that the actual intersection is behind that barbed wire fence to the south?
at 7:47 it looks like the OLD ROAD is above the current intersection. I was at the site sunday. Near the make shift memorial, there is an OLD ROAD....all cracked up from the past....this old road runs east to west.
Very interesting. I need this to be solved
Nobody cares.
@@jaysantos536 nobody cares about your stupid comment 🙄
@@jaysantos536 you do for commenting
This is old news to those interested in this stuff but Bill Hickman was also Steve McQueen's driving coach in "Bullitt" and the guy who drove the Charger in the great car chase. Also in "The Seven Ups". You did a great job pinpointing the exact point where the crash occurred. We visited the spot over 20 years ago and the roads are so modernized now I'd recommend anyone going there to watch this first.
I kind of feel sorry for the other guy in the crash. Not only do Dean fans most likely blame him for their idol's death, but he has to go through life with the name "Turnupseed".
Johnny Quest lol unfortunate surname just asking for that pun!!!!
Be interesting to research how many "Turnupspeed" existing family names there are 😋
LOVE these Google Earth/Hollywood history stuff!!! Please do more!!!
Very well done video. Unfortunately he died slightly more south of the intersection than you show in the video. He wasn’t driving on highway 46, it wasn’t built yet. If you look at Google maps there is a flat dirt section that runs parallel to highway 46. This was on US Route 466 and the road James Dean was traveling on at the time of his death.
I was searching for this commend...
Yes, you can still see 466 that paralleled the new 46 to the South by only a few feet. So the crash spot is under the road. Just drove 46 in early August, 2002, and while a lot of 46 is 4 lane, this section is not. Maybe in another 5 years. So I usually take 101 South from Paso. But 46 should have been fixed 40 years ago. Too many people have died needlessly. The reason for so much traffic on 41 is the Avenal State prison.
I think the old road was still visible paralleling on the north. It was common for Ca DOT to upgrade roads by building a new one next to the old one, back in the '60s.
I've been on that road many, many times. What remains of the old road parallels Rte 46 for several miles, going back east from the junction of 41 & 46. I'll put up two Google map links below, one street view that shows the old tarmac still in place on the south side of 46. The new roadway crosses over the old one at least twice (so it is on both the north and south sides of the new roadway, but it is clearly visible in the following Google Earth shot;
About 4 miles East of the accident site;
goo.gl/maps/4oTwDj9XKymWB9oy6
Street view of the same area;
goo.gl/maps/fp7Fn8oQEpAYVBmU9
The old road is there, cut into the hillside.
Another fantastic forensic accounting of a piece of history. Your videos are truly unique and bring the viewer along on a trip thru significant events that have been truly molded into our memories. Even though I'm late in finding your channel, I hope that there are many more to come! Thank you.
Mango891 yes, there are more coming!:))
love your vids. just a friendly and subtle suggestion when utilizing the reference images: click on the ‘view image’ option so we can get the visual details you’re emphasizing for us to learn from. you’re a great presenter btw 👍🏽
Forrest you should do one on the famous "In Cold Blood" murders!!
Jim Boermer. Forrest Gump!
a few additional notes. Seed entered real early into the turn like most people would he did not slow down as if to make a sharp left turn. He was a car guy and had just passed other cars that witnessed it from behind him. As he was sort of shaving the corner by entering early he then spotted Deans low tiny car and realized he was in his lane and veered back to the right trying to avoid him and dean swerved starting the car into a spin and hit the drivers side front of seeds car and flew up and over to where it came to rest. Neither car braked. Seconds before Dean passed cars and one noted their speed of 65 because they said Dean passed them as if they were standing still and the one guy saw what was coming and wife looked up for them both to witness the crash. He also confirmed Dean never hit brakes because it happens so fast. The farmer and wife estimated car was WELL over 80 mph or faster. Seed cannot be blamed because its normal to go left while someone is coming in your direction however the car was virtually invisible combined with small size can give perspective of normal car FURTHER AWAY. also the great speed of dean. Seed did not as much hit him as in the split second he was swerving back to avoid the turn-dean swerved and was virtually sideways when he then plowed into seed. so was seed also swerving in freak out manuever.
Wrong. There are skidmarks from BOTH cars indicating that they both saw each other in the last 2 seconds before impact. Their speed by the cops was estimated about 50mph at impact. Seconds before the impact, both cars were moving faster so the skidding helped slow down the vehicles to just 50mph.
Good work! I humbly disagree though with your resting place of the Porsche however. Even if Dean were only going the speed limit, the car would have gone considerably past where you speculate it ended. Odds are it was going very fast (and probably why the other guy miscalculated by making his left turn). The Porsche was hit on the left side, driver's side, was not head on impact, so it very easily could have rested where the memorial is. Thanks for the synopsis.
Nirky after further review I actually think it actually came to rest further to the left, from looking straight down, and in the new transition lane.
@@forresthaggertychannel4301 They know that Dean traveled 45 feet (roughly 3-4 car lengths) past impact point and Turnupseed traveled 36 feet-both in the general direction they were traveling. So if your impact point is correct, your stopping point is about right.
Mark Gibson : why be a prick about it.
This man's dedication to these videos is incredible
wow i just discovered your channel, amaziing
alejandro rodriguez I’m happy you enjoyed it!:)))
Watched an interview with Alec Guinness in which he recounted meeting James Dean in the first evening of his first visit to California. James Dean showed him his car and later in the conversation, Alec Guinness said to James Dean (and he said he doesn’t know quite why he said it), if you get in that car you will be dead by this time next week. Wild.
Love your videos. Maybe do one about the Bonnie and clyde ambush site in Louisiana. I've been there and it would make a awsome video.
this was outstanding presentation one question i had was it certainly seemed a heck of a long distance from the gas station through the desert to the wreck point i'm surprised that little spider had a fuel tank big enough to make it that far especially if he was leadfooting it on the throttle
brewcrew They were breaking in the engine. He wasn’t leadfooting. It’s a 3.5 hours and they refueled in Blackwells
That area is not desert.
There is a gas station/truck stop at Blackwell Corners.
Very good analysis. Dean's house on Sutton street was a log house, now demolished.
nice to know his details for that day. he did a lot if driving and may have been pretty fatigued and with that strange intersection. i don’t think it was his fault. Turnipseed should have seen him. rip, James Dean.
This is crazy, yesterday night l was thinking about him and today the first thing l see in You Tube is this..... RIP James Dean🙏
Memorials are put out of the way to avoid accidents. Same with the Bonnie and Clyde memorial.
Forrest should do the last week in the lives of Bonnie and Clyde and the location of their death.
Excellent research and video. I've been past there many times - it's solemn. I wonder though about where Dean's car actually landed. If they were "breaking in" the engine (very, very plausible - especially on such a straight strip oh highway), how fast WAS he going? The kid likely was not good enough with his depth perception (being a younger driver) and simply thought he could make it (how many friends I've lost on bikes for the same reason?). That said; Dean also was headed West, at sundown, and likely also missed the kid - either due to the sun or watching his instruments.
Either way, the world lost an important figure that day - for reasons we can only hypothesize on. You really did do an excellent job on this video. Thank you.
Why was Turnupseed not arrested? Surely that was man slaughter? It was a long straight road, how could he not see a car coming in the opposite direction. Love your channel, greetings from the UK.
Well done. Some items: 1) There is no such thing as a "porsh". The name of the car is pronounced "Por-Shuh". 2) I have a book on Dean that shows his route as 101 north to Hwy 46 west. I have been both ways. The route you show would probably be right. A lot less conspicuous, two lanes, would have allowed them to run at higher speeds. I-5 didn't yet exist. 3) He did get a second ticket somewhere along the way. Years ago Blackwell's Corner had a facsimile (pre photo copy) of it on the wall with many pictures. 4) Your second pronounciation of Lance Reventlow's name is the correct one. 5) Your descriptions of the intersection as it was then is also correct. 6) A number of years ago I took the route on one of the anniversary's of his death. I timed it to get to the intersection at about the same time as the crash. In addition to getting a really creepy feeling as I went thru there, the sun was really low. He would have been looking right into it which is a factor no one has ever brought up. 7) I have seen car magazines of the time which show his car as having gone off to the left, stopping in a farmer's field behind a barbed wire fence. 8) The mother of my ex-fiance was an emergency room nurse at the Paso Robles hospital. Years later, before her death, she revealed to the family that she was on duty that night. Contrary to the rumors he had faked his death, the government had taken him prisoner because of his affect on teenagers, etc, she said she saw his body and he was 100 percent dead. 9) Despite the improvements to the intersection fatal accidents, most commonly vehicles turning left from 46 onto 41, continue. Each time there are calls to put a freeway thru there.
@@jam9297 Porsche(por-sha) is the name of the family who first designed & developed the Volkswagen, then Porsche cars. They are actually a design firm whose work can be seen in varied form through out the world, from Yashica cameras to water-cooled Harley-Davidson engines. I'm sure you would not like someone butchering your last name.
Why would the mother of your ex fiancé keep it a secret till before her death. How bizarre. Are you sure she wasn't suffering dementia? I find her confession hard to believe. She would have been talking about it well before then. Did someone pay her to keep silent for some reason?
Great presentation and research. Really interesting.
how great presentation is that? he can't pronounce fucking Porsche !
he can check TH-cam in a second ....,how the Porsche porununce ton of video is here !
and same ....with location names .....
he does not care all off them how their names spell....
I don't know why care for making fucking TH-cam videos ?!
Excellent videos with very extensive descriptions. How about doing one for Grace Kelly's accident and proximity to film To Catch a thief locations very close.. more videos please.
Interesting theory of the crash location. Assuming the road was adjusted to its current location as you hypothesize, there could be property records involving the land transfer from the prior owner to the government entity that controls the road. If so, these records could offer further proof and details of the specific crash location.
Thanks for this great video. By comparing street view and the old pictures I have the impression that the transition lane was the actual road back then. If so then the memorial would be at the exact right spot.
musicfan 2000 I could be wrong, but I’m fairly certain that transition lane wasn’t there in 1955. If you find any information saying it was please let me know.
Take a look at the website "discover central california/james dean memorial in cholame". They compare the photograph from the wreckage with the one from the memorial now and the hills in the background match exactly. Also note that the angle in the old photos only seems to be almost 90 degrees on the first look. If you look closely the angle is not that steep because the road and especially its depth and lenght does not seem to be rightly represented in the old pictures.
musicfan 2000 you may be correct! Very possible!
musicfan 2000 when I line up the center of both roads using google earth I still have him landing in the triangle at the center of the intersection. However, with what you shared with me it seems to be a little further west and south of the transition lane.
I just found another video on youtube called „James Dean Car Accident“ in which they overlay an old and a new photograph. Then they recreate the whole accident and if you compare the overview of this professional animation it matches perfectly with the transition lane in Google Earth.
People say that the original turn was at around the 7:55 point in this video explaining why the memorial is where it is. Kind of makes sense. They say Turnupseed was going 55 MPH and would’ve had to make a hard left if the turn was where you say the crash took place. Turnupseed was a local and knew he could make the easy turn at 55 MPH at the “original turn” down by the memorial. I’m not sure of how this area was reconstructed but it just seems easier to make that easy left at 55 MPH down where the memorial is. One other thing is the location of the memorial to the wooden Jack Ranch sign that’s just down the road in the direction that Dean was headed. It seems to line up better to where the memorial is. If you look at photos you can see the Jack Ranch sign in the background at the right turn.
Bill Hickman drove the Charger in Bullitt.
Nice work on compiling and putting all this material together Forrest - good job
Ghosts all over LA. Fascinating.
All your videos are fascinating. Great voice. Thank you.
Susan Muecke thank you and I’m happy you enjoy them!
The Grapevine or I-5 also didn't exist in 1955 as you showed it. You have to find the old Ridge Route parts of which still exist. You can pick up a part of it off hwy 138 east of I-5 out of Gorman.
It's my contention Turnupseed saw the Porsche. The accident happened at 5:30 pm so the sun would've been at Donald's back. Also from that intersection looking east you can see over half a mile of road as you can see on the overhead view. That straight stretch east of before the intersection is all downhill. What I believe happened was Dean really opened the Porsche up on the downhill run the half mile before the intersection and Turnupseed saw him and thought he could make the turn, badly misjudging Dean's speed. I've driven through here hundreds of times and have witnessed numerous near misses of people in a hurry to get home from a weekend on the coast and turning in front of oncoming traffic. This intersection is not that much different from then to today. You still have to make a left onto Hwy. 41. In 1955 hwy 46 was US hwy 446.
Lance Reventlow was the son of Barbara Hutton the heiress of the Woolworth Dept. Store fortune. He built the Scarab race cars which ran in Formula 1 races in Europe in the 1950s until 1960. He was a very famous racer in United States motorsports history.
I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT HANCOCK PARK ELEMENTARY, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE FARMERS MARKET, IN L.A.~HE WAS AT THE DONUT SHOP THERE BEFORE HE STARTED HIS TRIP THAT DAY. AND STRANGELY, I LIVED IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX YEARS LATER ON SUTTON WAY, CLOSE TO THE HOME HE RENTED THAT DAY IN 1955. I WENT TO THE 50TH. ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRASH SITE IN 2010 AND SOLD T SHIRTS I HAD MADE UP WITH A GRAPHICS PROGRAM IN MY COMPUTER..HE WAS A GREAT TALENT WITH A SUDDEN SAD ENDING...
The small log cabin type house on Sutton Street that James Dean was leasing is no longer there. It was torn down years ago. There is a large newer house there now.
Great little piece of work, brother. Damn man, you sure do the research. Sky's the limit, I'm thinking about ten people and places I'd love to see ya do
Dave Crockett name them. Maybe I can!
This is a wonderful analysis of where the location would have been. I wholeheartedly agree with your view. Great job 👍
Awesome description. Great job with the details.
I drove that road, same time of day, 11 years to the day later. the sun was almost at road level right into Dean's eyes. he would have had difficulty seeing ahead of him.
At the estimated speed Dean was covering 140feet every second.
ONE FOOTBALL FIELD EVERY TWO SECONDS. (From tine of day of the receipt for the food stop to TOD of the accident and the distance between those 2 points it was concluded ~95mph..
The legal limit in 1966 was 45mph - 66ft/sec. How long dies it take to complete a turn at the "legal speed" and when you look at on coming traffic, YOU expect cars coming at you do be doing the limit.
When the guy looked ahead and started his turn - Dean SEEMED to be far enuf away (several seconds at 66ft/sec)
If Dean HAD NOT BEEN SPEEDING the guy could have safely made the turn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@M Detlef A football field in the USA is 300 feet long! 100 yards (10 - ten yard segments)!!. That's why the best seats in the stadium are on the FIFTY yard line - center of the field.
Where did you go to school and did you make it past 4th grade? DUMBASS ASS ASS ASS!
@M Detlef PS at 140ft/sec it is slightly more than 2 seconds for a 100 yard distance. 2.143 seconds to be precise lest the numbers cops be upset like the kybd fuzz. SCC4B.
A computer simulation done several years ago determined Dean was driving about 57 mph based on the distance between the point of impact and the position of the car after the impact. It is my understanding that the intersection was moved south of where it had been in 1955 in order to make it safer.
You researched this.
I did not. But I will say that from watching another video on this, that poster indicated that the current roads are not the same as the originals in which Dean was operating. He said that you can still see the original road to the immediate north of the current roadway. On your Google images if you look up to the 1 o’clock position, you can see old pavement that has the same shape of the original intersection and it appears to me that the other poster is correct that, that was the actual intersection at the time and new roadways have been constructed right next to them.
According to him, all the pavement that is currently driven on by vehicular traffic was laid after Dean’s death. Look at the Google images and you will see the sections of old pavement, and the old intersection looks like a perfect match from the 1955 photos. Thank you for the video. It was excellent nevertheless.
Great job👍 very detailed. Enjoyed this.🚘
Great sadness, most of his fans are dead or close, so were James Dean
Died is unimportant, how he lived and what he left us, all of us,
Is the important part of his story.
It’s weird TH-cam suggested this video. I know the whole crash story but in the past couple of years, I hadn’t really came across anything regarding James Dean. But then literally in the past few weeks I’ve been seeing things about him randomly. At a toy store I saw what I believe was the same toy model car he drove along with the same number on the side so that got me thinking of him. Then at my local Denny’s, there’s a painting of James at a roadside gas station just hanging out smoking a cigarette next to the porche. I had not even gone to that Denny’s in years and I found myself there twice recently explaining to different friends who James Dean was. Now this video came up and I had not remotely watched anything in connection to him. Weird.
Fun fact: I myself am from Salinas so that explains why our Denny’s has a James Dean painting :)
Go into the cafe in Cholame. It has the real facts.
And if you don't get it there, go to Paladins. I'm a south county (King City) native.
I have to agree with you ! As a former Flight Attendant I have spent many years of my life in the sky looking down and have the eagle eye like you to see these same things ... I think you are correct .. great investigation. As you may know their are reports that he was alive and might have lived if they put a neck brace on him as the ambulance also got in an accident taking him to hospital.... of course some say he was not driving it at the time and that the mechanic took his place at the last stop... but we will never know
Great work. Enjoy your vids very much.
QuickPitch I’m happy you enjoy them! :)))
It is also interesting that just a few yards to the west of the intersection is the San Andreas Fault.
Lance Reventlow was heir to the F.W. Woolworth fortune.
Great video. I was at that mobile gas station back in 2007. People said the Manson family stopped at that gas station to wash the blood off themselves with the water hose they had there.
That was not a Mobil station in 1969. It was 'Casa de Petrol' (part of Casa de Cadillac) and was surmounted by a very large 'Standard Chevron' sign. I lived nearby at the time.
Good video. There are pictures of Turnipseed's Ford sitting at roughly a 45 to the intersection. It was totally mangled from the firewall forward. The worst of the damage was on the left side of the vehicle.
Some pictures also show Dean's car in a dirt shoulder next to a wire fence. The brunt of the damage was also along the entire left side.
After seeing this I am sort of confused. I remember reading the police accounts that Turnipseed said he didn't see Dean because of the sun. Unless I'm totally daft the sun should have been at Turnipseed's back. 49 Fords weren't heavy cars, but they were pretty stout. Dean was probably driving way too fast in a small silver bullet. In this case driver error on both sides.
Turnipseed could have had the sunset in his mirrors at that exact moment
Tanjay Miller. True. His car wasn't totally stock. Day/night mirrors were rare back then. Since his car wasn't totally stock it could have had dual exterior mirrors also. I'm going to do some playing later.
If you pause at 7:29 you can see the sun sets behind Turnipseed's direction. I was blinded really bad at sunrise out here where I live. Even with my visor down and sunglasses on. I could hardly see the lines on the shoulder for about 5 mins.
Tanjay Miller. Makes sense. I'm half a country away. In looking at Turnipseeds car it looks like there might have been a left mirror. The right side isn't shown. Given that the car had skirts, 55 Pontiac chrome, two-tone paint dual mirrors aren't out of question.
Thank you for the sun factor.
Dean's car rode very low. With the silver color, it would have blended into the road that had an upward slope, at least in the distance, and was dusty. Easy to miss an unusually low-slung car coming at you fast, especially when you are riding up high and are used to other cars with a high profile. As for the sun, it could have been momentary blindness or distraction by Turnipseed from his mirrors or reflections or anything, the sun would have been at a very low angle behind him.
Have you seen the YT "James Dean Reconstruction" by Exponent Inc.? They use a computer simulation on the old road to show the view points of each driver. Since they knew where the crash occurred and Dean's car's final resting place, they calculated approximate speeds. They concluded that Dean wasn't speeding. The point of the crash impact at the intersection to the final resting place on the fence isn't that far; it is probably the same relative position you show here. Had he been speeding his car would have rested much further down the road. That YT was published on May, 2016.
The current memorial spot is as good as any when it may never been known where Dean actually died. I knew those roads were reconfigured so the makeshift memorial site would have been close enough all things considered. If we knew where the exact spot was, people visiting the spot would likely get killed by the traffic, and I doubt if the state of California is going to reroute the highways to enshrine a "Rebel Without A Cause" site. Even the current site has some danger. If one is to stop and lay a reef they will probably park on the CA 41 shoulder as it curves and merges on to CA 46. For the ongoing traffic that wants to merge on to CA 46 westbound they will be looking to their left to adjust and judge their merging speed depending on the CA 46 traffic. While they're looking back, it is easily conceivable that a car parked to visit the Dean site could get creamed even if it is off the road and on the shoulder. This spot is a compromise.
I remember visiting the grave site of Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner, NM. Actually two tourist places makes that claim; I went to the one most people recognize as the "one and only." People laid many coins on the gravesite, and placed different artifacts on the grave. However, I understand that, that graveyard was washed away during a flood years ago, and whoever was responsible for the upkeep of the cemetery wasn't sure at all where The Kid's grave was now. It is currently inside a large caged in area. So, what do you do about Billy's grave when tourist ask? Well, you pick a spot, a "this is close enough" spot and that will have to do and everybody seems somewhat satisfied.
I suppose James Dean's memorial spot is such a place. If we aren't sure about where popular or historical figures' final moments were, we will "pick a close enough spot" and go with it.
Finally, where Dean actually died may render the crash site as only that----a crash site, and not a death site. Depending on who or what you read, Dean died instantly, therefore the death site IS near the crash site. Others however say Dean was still alive at the site, but died enroute on the way to the hospital. Therefore he breathed his last somewhere on CA 46 westbound. Somewhere on CA 46 between the crash site and Paso Robles just isn't that sexy though for people who want to make some gesture like dropping a coin or reef, or take a photo of a tangible place. Again, as far as I'm concerned the current memorial site works for me, it's close enough with a caveat.
No shout out to the Jack Ranch Cafe?
Indeed, good steaks, good photos of Marilyn Monroe and others and of course the memorial by the Japanese fan.
Jack ranch at the time was a great place.
Nicely presented. I wonder if Calif. Dept. of Highways might have existing conditions map at time of new alignment & change at this intersection. Current Google Street View, labeled CA 41 Shandon, CA, dated June 2015, shows a sign on post in-between highways 41 & 46. Sign reads, James Dean Memorial Junction.
dug the historical research and commentary related to an iconic individual.
The car did not come to a stop between the hi-ways, it was by a fence line about where the memorial is. I've seen pictures of the car after the crash. Considering the cars speed at the time there's no way it could have come to rest where you said.
You are very correct in you assumption of the Crash. I to have assessed the Crash Sight also. I use to Drive Truck every week on that Hwy and use to Pull over up the Road where the Monument is, To get a Little Sleep. But you are right on your Observations of how the Road was when Dean Died and the Way it is Today. I had also thought that the little Road side Monument was in the Wrong Place. Great Video Thanks.
Awesome detailing. I enjoyed this!
This is what I love about google earth, how you can get into the minutia of an old event and get a detailed feel for where the various locations were in relation to the story and how things have either changed or stayed the same etc. I spent a long time going over the North Hollywood shootout one day (well actually 2 or 3 days)and had a lot of fun figuring it all out. I've also looked at other murder sites around the world and find it all endlessly morbidly fascinating. Great site and an excellent job.
It's been 67 years since his death. He's so young :'((
Fantastic video. Great job. I've done a lot of research myself. I didn't realize how close he made it to his destination. How long of a drive did he have left?
Google Earth is a fun hobby. I found his address as 14611 Sutton St. Sherman Oaks and I am looking at his house right now. Nice area. and good job on your analysis for where Dean's actual car crash occurred. It seems very plausible.
I had always wondered where exactly he died. Excellent analysis. BTW, it's "roh-bulls" not "roh-bless" :)
Or as us locals call it "Paso".
The Gas Station on Ventura/Beverly Glen was a Flower Shop next to that was a Auto Body Shop. That caught fire and now it's a dirt field. There starting to grade it for construction.
Great video my friend I got to admit I was waiting for you to screw it up. like you said a lot of people think the accident happened further down the road but your video is absolutely correct the intersection used to be a few hundred feet east of where it is now you did your homework
THIS IS WELL DONE & I THINK YOU HAVE IT EXACTLY RIGHT
That road today is dangerous. It must have been insane in the 50s. Those old pics give make me anxious.
I strongly think the old road went through the middle of the big dirt triangle, and curved to the west a little. If you drop street view, you can see the old road pavement. The photo shows the road curbing west, but on google you noted that the road jogged to the east. Also, you implied his car came to rest only 100 feet away from the accident. That's way too short of a distance from the crash.
Can you please look into doing the following: Mountain Meadows Massacre, Donner Party Route, Tule Indian War (Battle Mountain in California), Lost Dutchman Mine & Alexander The Great Burial Site? Thank You So Very Much For Your Outstanding Work & Research. Thank You
Well done!
The ticket Dean received on Hwy 99 is emphasized, suggesting you wanted to make it clear that it wasn't I-5. Am I right about that or is this a misinterpretation on my part? I-5 wasn't built at the time of the accident. Excellent job regardless. Thank you.
Yes. I-5 was not there at that time.
Wow. Looking at photos of Dean’s crashed car it looks like the impact initiated right in front of the Porsche’s left front tire. The steering wheel wound up almost in the passenger seat.
I was stationed in Ca during the early 80s My time was split between Rancho Del Cielo and Vandenberg. I visited the site of the wreck, and there was plenty of clear open roadway with great sight distance at that intersection. When I was there, the intersection was still pretty much the way it was at the time of the crash. What occured to me is that the Porsche was small and painted a color similar to the road surface. If Dean was pushing the speed any, I doubt the other driver even saw the small gray Porsche. Not far from the crash scene is/ was a small restaurant. The walls inside were covered news clippings, photos and other items related to the rash and passing of James Dean. RIP JD.
In 2001 my band was traveling to Monterey to play at the blues festival and we broke down about 50 yards from the spot he died. There were too many people in the van to ride with the tow truck so the nam called out his daughter who had a double-cab Ford truck....still too many people so myself and our harmonica player rode to Atascadero in the back of the truck. It's illegal to ride in a pickup bed in CA so we had to lay down so nobody could see us...I slept the whole way.
Hwy 46 has changed. It use to be where the dirt road is on that patch of land.
That being the case, it throws off your whole Coordinates as to where it happened and his car came to a stop.
His car would have actually been sitting where hwy 41 is now.
Fascinating stuff. However, I do disagree with you on the memorial site. I certainly haven't put as much effort in this as you have, but photos of the original crash scene indicate that 41 was straight and turned outward on 46, not inward. I would estimate that 41 came close to splitting that dirt patch in half and the memorial is very to close to the correct location of Deen's death. I could be wrong, but great work!
3:15 The same gas station the Manson family cleaned up after the murders.
I thought it said in a different video that they cleaned up with a hose in front of some guy's house. He came out and told them to take off.
The interesting thing about his story is the missing porshe after the crash it was stored at his agents house he sold the motor to another racer who died in another crash. The chassis and body disappeared from a locked storage container 15 years ago. I think a museum ofeered a million dollars for information on it. His other Porsche he had before the spyder is also missing.
The memorial is further down the road because people visit it often and it was too dangerous to have it in the middle of the intersection.
They should use this video at the police academy as a training tool for traffic enforcement. So many good take aways.
From what I've researched through the reports, he was still alive in the ambulance but the ambulance was hit by another car and thats what finished him off. I don't think many people know that about this accident.
The actual memorial site is approx 1/4 mile further west on the right. at a little restraunt serves the best blue berry pie. An displays the actual citiation he reseved earlier that day on 99. Fact!! ive been there. I'm an ex truck driver 43 years and one night real late I was tired had no idea that that was a famous site but I pulled into that restaurant about 3 in the morning and when I woke up I woke up to that Memorial right in front of me it was quite a quite a story for me so I wanted to share that
Interesting.
The only uncertainty I can think of is that highway 41 might not have had the slight turn to the south where it intersects highway 46, at the time of James Dean's accident.
To think he signed a contract with Warner two weeks earlier that specifically stated he couldn't drive in a race and he made a commercial for teenage drivers about safe driving.
THANK YOU!!! That’s what I wanted to know. Thanks for making it clear 🤗
Vicki Kolbe you’re welcome and I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Great video! Thank you!
David Ralph you’re welcome and I’m very happy you enjoyed it!
Great video and research. If you get the chance could you perhaps do a segment on Marvin Gaye?
If I'm not mistaken, the documentary "Six Degrees of Helter Skelter" claims that the Mobile gas station that Dean stopped at, was the same place the Manson family stopped to clean up, after either the Tate, or Labianca murders, and they tried to plant one of the victim's wallets in the bathroom as a false lead. I can't remember the guy's name that made the documentary, but, like you, he researches the sites and stories behind infamous people and incidents. In his case, he centers his research on the Hollywood area, and extensively on The Manson Family.
klmullins65 I have done two videos on the two Manson nights that explain it. You can check out!
yes
Very informative video. Thanks.
Culmination of every second of James Dean's young life led inexorably to this final moment. Speed had to be the determining factor, as Dean's last words "He's [Turnupseed] got to see us" Maybe he did, maybe he didn't...he may have misjudged the closure rate of the approaching Porsche. Anyone who has driven a two-lane highway knows that things can fall apart in an instant. Hamlet's words: "This fell [Cruel] sergeant DEATH is strict in his arrest"
Ironically Lance Reventlow also died in a plane crash years later. He died in 1972 in a crash in Colorado. He was the only child of heiress Barbara Hutton by her second husband, who was some minor royalty in Europe. And I think he was the husband right before Cary Grant.
With my CAD program, I drew up where I think the contact was. How can I get a few photos/aerials to you?
Email
Haggertysadventures@gmail.com
@@forresthaggertychannel4301 I just emailed you several good images of the crash site, from Jason Zupke
Thanks for sharing 👍
I think you're right about where Dean's car ended up after the impact
It looks like the new road is completely separate from the old one. Up in the top left you can see a forgotten road that matches the shape.