James Dean
The tragic death of a star... and the new birth of a stellar corpse.
James Dean had wrapped up shooting on the Warner Bros. film Giant and was set to compete in an automobile race held at the Salinas Airport.
Dean originally intended to pull his new silver Porsche Spyder on a trailer behind his 1955 Ford station wagon. However, at the last minute he decided to drive the sports car to put some pre-race mileage on it.
Accompanying Dean in the Porsche was his mechanic, Rolf Wotherich, 29. Following in the station wagon-with-trailer were Sanford Roth, a noted photographer, and Bill Hickman, a fellow actor. The quartet departed Los Angeles around 1:30 p.m.
Racing down the Grapevine grade on Route 99 (now Interstate 5) north of Los Angeles, the caravan was stopped by a California Highway patrolman for going 65 mph in a 45 mph zone. Both Dean and Roth received citations from the officer.
Resuming their trip, the two cars turned west onto Highway 466 (today shortened to 46) just north of Bakersfield and headed for Paso Robles, where they would catch U.S. 101 north for Salinas.
Dean's fast Porsche left the slower station wagon behind as the two cars climbed over Polonio Pass.
The downgrade from the pass runs straight as an arrow down to the Y intersection of Highways 46 and 41; a short distance beyond, Cholame is visible.
Approaching the intersection from the opposite direction was a large black-and-white 1950 Ford Custom Tudor coupe.
Dean's Porsche accelerated to a reported estimate of 85 mph on the downgrade toward Cholame. As the two cars converged on the junction, the Ford veered over the center line.
James Dean had wrapped up shooting on the Warner Bros. film Giant and was set to compete in an automobile race held at the Salinas Airport.
Dean originally intended to pull his new silver Porsche Spyder on a trailer behind his 1955 Ford station wagon. However, at the last minute he decided to drive the sports car to put some pre-race mileage on it.
Accompanying Dean in the Porsche was his mechanic, Rolf Wotherich, 29. Following in the station wagon-with-trailer were Sanford Roth, a noted photographer, and Bill Hickman, a fellow actor. The quartet departed Los Angeles around 1:30 p.m.
Racing down the Grapevine grade on Route 99 (now Interstate 5) north of Los Angeles, the caravan was stopped by a California Highway patrolman for going 65 mph in a 45 mph zone. Both Dean and Roth received citations from the officer.
Resuming their trip, the two cars turned west onto Highway 466 (today shortened to 46) just north of Bakersfield and headed for Paso Robles, where they would catch U.S. 101 north for Salinas.
Dean's fast Porsche left the slower station wagon behind as the two cars climbed over Polonio Pass.
The downgrade from the pass runs straight as an arrow down to the Y intersection of Highways 46 and 41; a short distance beyond, Cholame is visible.
Approaching the intersection from the opposite direction was a large black-and-white 1950 Ford Custom Tudor coupe.
Dean's Porsche accelerated to a reported estimate of 85 mph on the downgrade toward Cholame. As the two cars converged on the junction, the Ford veered over the center line.