Car, Accident, Crash
Rhonda Jenkins from Pixabay

According to statistics sourced by USA Today, from 2020 to 2023, there were an average of 114 fatal car crashes each day. The three states with the highest number of fatalities are Texas, California, and Florida. Since California is where many celebrities call home, it's no wonder there have been a large number of car accidents involving celebrities over the years.

Here's a look at some of those incidents, along with some situations where celebrities intervened in car crashes to save lives.

1. James Dean

After filming the movie Giant with Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean decided to drive his brand new Porche to Salinas, where he was going to spend the weekend racing. Unfortunately, he collided head-on with another car that was turning left at an intersection and died at the scene. He was only 24 years old.

While nobody can say for sure who was at fault, it's speculated that Dean was driving too fast, and the man making a left-hand turn didn't see him coming in time. Had Dean survived, he probably would have been held at least partially responsible.

How is fault determined in a car accident? It's based on each person's contribution to the accident and is not just determined by the car's operation. For example, one party might be found to be 20% at fault, while the other is assigned 80% of the blame. In Georgia, comparative negligence laws will reduce a plaintiff's compensation by the percentage they are found to be at fault.

2. Jayne Mansfield

The death of Jayne Mansfield in 1967 changed auto safety laws in a big way. After her car slid under a large truck, causing her death, the trucking industry rejected the NHTSA's recommendation to install rear underguards, also called "Mansfield bars," on all trucks. The NHTSA backed down after pressure from the trucking industry and President Reagan. However, the requirement was finally put in place in 1998—31 years after Mansfield's death.

3. Hulk Hogan rescued a girl from a crash

On a more positive note, in January 2024, Hulk Hogan and his friend rescued a teenage girl from an overturned car by puncturing the airbag with a pen and pulling her out. They both witnessed the crash and took instant action to help. Thankfully, the girl only had minor injuries.

4. Princess Diana

On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died at the scene of a horrible car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. She was 36 years old and had only been divorced for about a year. Her driver and her boyfriend, Mohamed Al Fayed, were also killed in the crash, but her bodyguard survived.

According to the story, they were traveling around 121 mph while being chased by paparazzi when the car hit a support column in the tunnel, flipped, and landed in the opposite lane of oncoming traffic.

5. Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes

One of three musicians who made up the popular 1990s band TLC, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes died in a car crash on April 25, 2002, at 30 years old. She had rented a vehicle in Honduras when she lost control and rolled.

6. Paul Walker

Paul Walker was in the process of filming the seventh installment of the franchise The Fast and Furious when he and his financial advisor were killed in a crash on November 30, 2013. They were driving more than 100 mph in Los Angeles, and after the crash, the car burst into flames, and they both died from their injuries.

7. Grace Kelly

Most famously known for her role in Dial M for Murder, Grace Kelly went on to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco, which gave her the title of Princess Grace of Monaco. In 1982, she was driving her daughter to the train station when her brakes went out. Her daughter tried to stop the car by pulling the band brake, but it didn't work. The car veered off a cliff, and both were injured, but only the daughter survived.

Celebrities are not immune to car crashes.

Nobody is immune to being involved in a car crash, not even celebrities. It's unfortunate that Hollywood lost so many stars at such young ages, but in most accidents, excessive speed and a lack of seatbelts played a major role. For those who were killed before cars required seatbelts, many would have survived if they had been restrained.

Today's cars are safer, but only when people choose to wear seatbelts and follow speed limits to ensure everyone's safety. That doesn't always happen, and the list of celebrities involved in car crashes will just continue to grow.