The story
On September 30, 1955, James Dean was driving his new Porsche 550 Spyder - nicknamed "Little Bastard" - to a racing event in Salinas. He was 24 years old, had made only three films, and was about to become immortal.
At 5:45 PM, near the junction of Routes 46 and 41, a 1950 Ford Tudor driven by college student Donald Turnupseed made a left turn directly into Dean's path. Dean's mechanic, Rolf Wutherich, was thrown from the car and survived. Dean died almost instantly.
The myth grew immediately. His car was supposedly cursed - pieces sold to collectors were involved in multiple fatal accidents. But Dean's real curse was dying young enough to never disappoint us.
What's There Now
A stainless steel memorial wrapped around a tree of heaven marks the approximate location. Fans still leave flowers and notes. The actual crash site is about 900 feet east of the memorial.
Everything that was here
- 1955–present · still open
James Dean Memorial (Crash Site)Historic Site
James Dean was speeding to a car race when he died at this junction. His last words: "That guy's gotta stop. He'll see us."
See the map in 1956 →
Nearby history
Know something about James Dean Memorial (Crash Site)? An old photo, a date, a memory of what stood here before?
Add it on the map