Shortly after completing work on his third starring feature film, producer-director
George Steven’s Giant (1956), actor James Dean and his passenger, mechanic
Rolf Wutherich, started out on a trip to Salinas, California in Dean’s silver Porsche
(above) to compete in a sports car rally. As Dean was traveling down the highway,
he crashed almost head-on into a Ford sedan (shown below) that had crossed into
Dean’s lane in an attempt to turn at an intersection in the highway. Dean was killed instantly. Wutherich and the driver of the other vehicle, 23-year-old college student
Donald Turnupseed survived. Dean was only 24.

Junction of US Highways 46 and 41 near Cholame, CA. (2007)

The remains of Dean’s Porsche

The 1950 Ford Custom sedan, driven by Turnupseed