Visiting James Dean's Last Stop & Crash Site

[@JasmineApple]

That is so sad -- how one bad decision, the timing of when you stopped for a snack and left Blackwell's Corner, and your life is over. So tragic. Really good video.

[@SuperNoncents]

What about all the other decisions like when he was 7 and had to tie his shoe, or that one time he stayed in bed for ten minutes longer...

[@adamantiuscloudcat1799]

Death comes by like that, one day ypu wake up, start ypur day and you dont know it will be your last.

[@beyasidcara8955]

❤ Good bye my LOVE ❤ 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@SuperNoncents]

@@bullcat6531 not true. Every single small decision leads to that point...change one change them all

[@organboi]

What bad decision exactly? The crash wasn't Dean's fault.

[@Fallout3ProHunter]

My dad was a massive James Dean fan, named my sister “Jett” after his character in “Giant”, my dad also owned a reproduction 55 spider exactly like Deans, miss the hell out of him

[@charliethornton2891]

James Dean was Gay

[@passager01]

I live in Europe and know only that James Dean died in a highway accident driving a Porshe. Thanks for showing the place he met his fate and the neighborhood he stopped by . It's a bit like I were on the spot .

[@Jack_The_Ripper_Here]

I live in Europe. Never heard of James Dean. Lol. No idea who this guy is and i don't really care

[@yamil.343]

@@Jack_The_Ripper_Herethen why are you watching & commenting on it?

[@scotts5308]

Thanks for the videos. The CD at 6:55 looks like a Jethro Tull CD, Chrysalis would be the music label CD is released under. Looks like the "Aqualung" album which is a great album. Peace.

[@ericligotke3542]

What? This happened 1955

[@scotts5308]

@@ericligotke3542 Yup, Maybe Tull was the oldest thing they could find? Or could be road side garbage that ended up there.A skipping CD someone tossed out the window? Tull would be late 70's I believe for that album.

[@SlipKid1975]

@@scotts53081971 to be exact.

[@Katmai_Bear_480]

@@scotts5308 1971. On the Chrysalis label. It was, indeed, Aqualung.

[@bpjr1899]

I watched this as I used to drive that route a lot back in the late 90's. That Shell Station,Cafe and Restaurant are all new. I used to stop at the original one there, It was the JACK RANCH CAFE. They had a few gifts there about James Dean. The Parking lot was just gravel. The Food was OK and it was the only thing out there. That Highway is the Main East/West Route between Interstate 5 and the 101. It has always been a dangerous road with many fatalities. The State has added a lot more passing lanes now. It was a long hot drive with not much out there. It was not James Dean fault. The other driver pulled in front of him but visibility on that road is poor due to the elevation changes. Thanks for the video. I enjoy your explorations.

[@djangorheinhardt]

No, the fault really was shared between Turnupseed and Dean .You must buy ,or borrow the book by Lee Raskin " James Dean .on the road to Salinas" If you do read it with and open mind : if you don` t you will be very disappointed .Dean does not come out of it blameless but get this book and make your mind up .

[@jatzbethstappen9814]

I've always wanted to visit this site - and now you've taken me there! Thanks SA!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Our pleasure!

[@Ro6entX]

Yeah lot of people assumed the road side memorial is where his car came to a rest, especially if they aren’t familiar with how the road was back then. His car actually came to stop fairly close (roughly 10 or so feet) to the sign that says “James Dean Memorial Junction “

[@dewaynem559]

Blackwells corner has changed alot over the years Me and my son had a strange encounter at Blackwell corner when I was driving truck. That road and intersection changed so much over the years it's almost like freeway now

[@brianmccarthy5557]

Tell us more about the strange encounter. Don't leave us hanging.

[@keithbishop3550]

What was the, "strange encounter"?

[@Green.heron24]

I really enjoy your videos, beautiful scenery, excellent narration of history and I appreciate that you have a respectful tone even if the events were sensational. I love the true stories. Thank you, Amy in Atlanta.💙

[@josephmartinez8803]

Dean was originally going to tow the Porsche to Salinas, but decided to drive it because it was still "new" and needed break in time. So Hickman (the same driver of the black Charger in the movie Bullitt) and Roth drove the Ford station wagon, pulling the empty trailer. It was Roth who took those last photos of Dean. In 1955, route 466 (46) went from Morro Bay to Kingman Arizona, where it connected with Route 66. Route 466 was also the road that crossed the Hoover Dam. Paul Newman reportedly said, upon finding out about Dean's accident that he finally would able to get some roles. The movie that put Newman on the map was originally set to be Dean's next movie.

[@susanb2015]

He did not want to drive to the racetrack. His mechanic told him he needed to put some miles on the car before the race. And he was only going about 53 mph when the other car drove on front of him.

[@josephmartinez8803]

@@susanb2015 It's hard to say if he "didn't want to" drive the 550 to Salinas, but yes it was decided to drive in order "break in" the car because it was brand new. As far as the speed he was traveling at the time of the accident, we can only speculate, but the car he passed just before the accident was traveling 55-60 mph, and the people in that car said that Dean flew right by them. Regardless of speed, the accident still happened.

[@susanb2015]

@@josephmartinez8803 Everyone always assumed he was speeding. But I watched the TV show Autopsy about the crash where they really investigated it and James Dean was given a ticket for going 65 in a 55 speed limit. Michael Hunter on the show estimated that he was going 53 at the time of the crash. It was the other guy's fault but he couldn't see Dean's small car until it was too late. Dean started racing cars so that he wouldn't speed on roads.

[@josephmartinez8803]

@@susanb2015 I've seen that, but another program, I can't recall the name, estimated the speed Dean was driving based on the time he left Blackwells corner to the point of the accident, and i think Dean's speed was estimated to be around 65-75 mph. But we will never know his actual speed. I always wonder what if he had not stopped at Blackwells corner or left 5 minutes later. But even today, there are still accidents at that "Y" intersection, even though it was modified after Dean's accident. There's been plans to build ramps and overpasses at that intersection, but nothing has been done yet.

[@susanb2015]

@@josephmartinez8803 I think he was driving the speed limit. The other guy was speeding trying to break his own record. The stupid road design where he had to cross over the oncoming lane to get off. Dean started racing cars so that he wouldn't speed on regular roads. He wasn't speeding after the ticket which was only 10 mph over the speed limit. It was being in the wrong place at the right time.

[@ChrisTopheRaz]

This case was awesome. There are government aerial photos of that site if you look deep enough. It is true that the memorial is not exactly where it happened. That’s a fun one, thanks for posting. This story inspired me years ago and I did a lot of research at the time to figure it out.

[@faryldaryl3975]

A few months on, but.. I thought it was interesting at 4:08 that the Ford, making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic, was hit on the left side. One would think any such impact would be on the right side. The impact must've been pretty much head-on. Did your research say anything about that? And I couldn't help but notice that ambulance driver was a big ol' boy!

[@ChrisTopheRaz]

@@faryldaryl3975 The Ford just started Turning and Dean swerved to the right clipping the left front end before rolling off onto the bank.

[@whydontmynameswork]

@@faryldaryl3975dean turned in front of the Ford anticipating that he would beat it through the intersection & or that the ford would see him and correct his turn… neither of which happened.

[@organboi]

​@@whydontmynamesworkPerhaps, but is this verified? or best guess? DT cut him off. That was the first mistake. He initiated the crash and killed frickin James Dean, just as two masterful films were about to be released.

[@Gregory_Laborde]

The memorial is a mile further down the road, near the Jack Ranch Cafe. The 1955 intersection is EXACTLY where the modern intersection lies, but now 4-5 times bigger.

[@gwagon4188]

You did a great job. Definitely a video worth watching. Interesting informative and to the point.

[@josemoreno3334]

To young to die. Rest In Peace James. Great video, Thanks.

[@michaelphelan106]

I was a student at Cal Poly from 1958-63 and at one point a member of the campus car club. Two of the other members were brothers (after 60 years I can’t remember their names) who were pretty well connected in the SoCal Hot Rod community and were able to get James Dean’s Porsche for display at a car show our club was having. There was chitchat that there was a “curse” on the Porsche and of course they had some sort of minor mishap with the trailer carrying it when they were in rush hour traffic on the Ventura Freeway that left them scratching their heads about the “curse”. I have no idea what ever happened to the Porsche after it was returned to its owner. Cholame Junction (location of the crash) is currently undergoing major highway reconstruction with four lanes, an overpass and all…

[@Seasniffer69]

His porsche was parted out and helped piece back together several cars. All which had terrible "luck" afterwords.

[@rayworx]

My wife and I stopped by the 'crash site' a few years back but could only imagine where the real crash site was. What a shame such a talented man had to die.

[@mawi1172]

What was so talented of him? The ability to fake shyness? 🙄🙄🙄. Its hard to make a box office failure with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. Dean made how many movies? A few? He never gave himself the chance to become 'a great actor'. He killed himself instead. Why did Robin Williams do it? River Phoenix? John Belushi? And countless others. Because of the depth of a depression most of us couldn't even DREAM of.

[@emilyustick3738]

rayworx Indeed, he was one of my late grandma’s favorites

[@emilyustick3738]

@@mawi1172 If you don’t think James Dean was a good actor, then why are you here? Either show some respect or get off of here

[@michaelmueller3462]

The crash site is pretty close to the intersection of Highways 46 and 41. The Porsche ended up on the north side of 46 and the west side of 41.

[@sebclot9478]

The intersection is in the same spot today that it was in the 1950's. The video's author is mistaken. Sections east of the intersection were moved north, but this didn't include the current 41/46 intersection. Other than the upgrades, the widening and the extra turn lane, it is pretty much in same location

[@mercedithcompala8148]

Thank you for taking us along. ❤ so sad he's gone😢

[@michaelconway6720]

I saw Rebel Without A Cause when I was a kid around 1968. I was fascinated with James Dean from that point on. That Christmas, I received a book about his life called The Mutant King. I read it numerous times. His last stop at Blackwell Junction was for a slice of apple pie.

[@daveg.6820]

I was a Junior in high school when "Rebel Without a Cause" came to the theatres. Many of us started to wear Blue Jeans, a White Tee Shirt, a Nylon Jacket, and Black Loafers after seeing it. Some of that fashion statement lasted for many years among his fans. When I left the Army, I bought a British MGA. I lost a Hillclimb Competition to a kid with a Porsche Spyder identical to James' Porsche.

[@glenncarver3896]

Some of the locals said that due to the time of day and the shadows and Dean’s Spider was Grey and low to the ground the Ford could not see him and Dean was traveling at a high rate of speed……….

[@vincentl.9469]

apparently , he had been pulled over by a police car earlier in the day for speeding. I can understand people's feelings, but I don't see the point now of littering the spot with messages , flowers and other stuff ..not after nearly 70 years

[@joshuashibata1840]

Ok now this is awesome! Im a huge James Dean fan!

[@kjnodwell]

This was an outstanding video!! Very informative and tastefully done. Thank you 🥰

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

I've gone through the 41/46 intersection many times since my honeymoon in '75. The DVDs I have of James Dean's movies have great added features about his life also. And neat to see Blackwell's Corner having some development. That used to be pretty barren territory. Another great episode!

[@brianmccarthy5557]

Used to be pretty barren? Even as a California native it's pretty barren now. It must have been the arse end of nowhere in the past.

[@jameshepburn4631]

Interesting video but missing some info. Witnesses (and mechanic Wutherich) said Dean was really speeding along even though he was West bound looking directly into the 5:30 PM late September sun. The cars back then were heavy ‘Detroit iron’ full size with lots of head room. Dean’s low & small Porsche was not a common sight in rural CA in 1955. Turnupseed might not even have thought of looking for such a vehicle. Wutherich even said Dean’s last words were “he’s got to see us doesn’t he?” and Dean didn’t slow down. I remember the triangular intersection before it was redesigned. Route 46 runs from the Central Valley Route 99 just N. of Bakersfield through rural hilly country over to Route 101 at Paso Robles. The 30 degree angle ‘Y’ intersection where Route 41 branches off to the N.E. is just E. of the community of Cholame, I wouldn’t even call it a town, more like a couple of structures. Even if Dean’s injuries hadn’t killed him on the spot, it’s a long 35 miles each way to send an ambulance out from Paso Robles and then back to the hospital. Figure about an hour and a half delay to get Dean to the E.R., a long time when time is critical.

[@supermpc]

Great video Steve as usual, I’ve been by here many times but this really puts the icing on the cake. As of 2024 the old 46 2 lane that passed the restaurant (closed since pandemic) has been widened, and rerouted possibly cutting off access to the nice stainless steel memorial.

[@bobbyhernandez859]

Thank You for this reminds me of my visits to Paso Robles!

[@highoctanecards]

Great video, I live about an hour from his hometown here in Indiana. Have been there several times. Thank you for all the video/photographic references.

[@joshuabarber5272]

Another great informative video, thanks Sidetrack!!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you for watching!

[@rickden8362]

@@SidetrackAdventures I do really enjoy your trips around old Cali...but that curd brown Padres cap could been left behind.

[@Claudio-cq9ld]

James Dean, so Young and gone. But It is the destiny. GOD Bless Him!🙏

[@rtalways]

Incredible legend even after so many years

[@conniewojahn6445]

Probably because of the potential acting career that he threw away by driving so fast and killing himself.

[@Gregory_Laborde]

This is one of the more accurate portrayals of the accident that I have seen. You were closer than you know at the crash site. Most people don’t realize how much bigger the current intersection is than the one in 1955. I’ve done photogrammetry of both modern and 1950s aerial photographs of the site, and determined that the actual impact was at the turn lane stop line (or close enough) from northbound 46 onto 41. The Porsche came to rest less than 100 feet from the impact site, so it would’ve been within, the desert triangle in the middle of the intersection. The modern fence line is several hundred feet beyond the 1955 fence line.

[@chormiclestan]

I passed by it many times as a truck driver, even had a chance to stop one day and see the memorial around the tree. Very nice tribute to Dean. Place is often crowded on weekends.

[@bradmiller8315]

5:07 Is the actual crash site to the right of the road he is traveling down ? I can't determine which is South

[@raymichael7078]

Really liked the music you chose to accompany the video.

[@michaelangelo7803]

I was driving on Highway 46 right now and I was wondering exactly what you were saying I want to thank you very much for sharing the video Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family

[@swankles3877]

Great research on all the backstory, makes it that much more special.😊

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you.

[@jesusramirez4537]

God bless James Dean. This will not be forgotten

[@organboi]

Well said.

[@michaeljordan6008]

My dad bought a 1955 Speedster back in 1979 because he was such a Dean fan. Couldn’t swing a 550.

[@daybird2]

Your videos are fast becoming my favorites on KZbin.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Wow, thanks!

[@mikewhitt4602]

Good video. Thanks for mentioning how and where the highway was relocated from. Also, thanks for mentioning the since redesigned US-466.

[@Jason1Pa]

I always find it interesting that James Dean remains popular even today with such a short career.

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

Well, his 3 movies were big hits, having other stars as well. I'm guessing his performances in Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant left moviegoers wanting to see more. His bad boy race car crash & death was just a difficult ending to accept. Get the DVDs for those films and watch the special features for more insights on his life and death.

[@itravisoni]

His acting was so natural.

[@organboi]

Four reasons: 1) Meteoric rise to stardom, suddenly cut short at such a young age, even before the other two films were released. 2) His unbelievable good looks at a time when film made him look even better. The camera loved James Dean like no other actor I can think of. 3) His immense talent and ability. And he was just getting "warmed up." 4) His "alienated restless teen" persona changed the course of film stories. Teens now had a voice. All that, thrown away because of a foolish and dangerous desire to race cars. Amazing how his friends and relatives didn't encourage him much to curb such an obsession. Even the Giant producers insisted by contract that he not race at any time during the shooting period.

[@itravisoni]

@@organboi Donald Turnupseesd saw him before he hit him terrible

[@mitcheal123]

And to think I have driven past here close to a hundred times and just now found this out

[@JohnSmith-vl4dv]

Kossie Dethloff's Blackwell"s Corner is a James Dean classic.

[@tommymadden9746]

Thanks for the video. It was disappointing to know that the sight was in question. It seems like we have a hard time preserving history whether it be good or tragic.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I think the road had to be moved in order to try and make it safer, but its still has a much higher accident rate than normal and I read they are going to try and do some further adjustments.

[@sebclot9478]

Not the intersection. Sidetrack adventures was mistaken on that point. The road was realigned on portions to the east of this intersection, but not at the intersection. I can't speak to the location of the monument or the final resting place of the car, but the site has been widened and modified to make it safer, but the original sections of road are still intact and in use.

[@organboi]

​@@sebclot9478I've heard something like this. That there is NOT a whole new road there, but merely a shifting of part of the road. I heard that the center line of the original is still part of the NEW road. Conclusion, the 1955 road is still somewhat part of the renovated one.

[@sebclot9478]

@@organboi What I did was I took old 1950's aerial photos of the road and overlaid them against modern sat photos. The road to the east of the 41/46 intersection was indeed shifted north to straighten and widen it. You can still see the old alignment today. HOWEVER, the new road appears to merge back with the old alignment a few hundred feet before the interchange. I can discern no difference between the 1950's alignment and the modern alignment at the intersection, save the widening and additional turn lanes.

[@christopherheflin5919]

Thank you for another informed video. 👍

[@SidetrackAdventures]

My pleasure!

[@mikebavoso26]

At 4:09 the ambulance is shown in the video. My father had storage yards for rent in the 70s, this ambulance is shown in the picture that picked up James Dean was in one of those storage yards

[@secretdaisy6484]

That was excellent. I’ve always been sad about the loss of a great talent and I’m a Porsche freak. Whenever I get back to southern CA I’m going to check this out with some of your other interesting adventure sites. You do such a great job of finding interesting topics and making good videos. Thanks for your efforts and keep posting. 👍☮️🌞🛣🚧

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you for the kind words. We weren't able to go in the Jack Ranch Cafe but I hear they have quite a few pictures in there too if you do get a chance to check this out.

[@ericromeiro6688]

James Dean's Copy of his speeding ticket that he got on the way used to be inside Jack's restaurant pinned up on the wall. I saw it in 1980s !

[@renedeveze-aguirre1963]

September 30, 1955 the man died and the legend began.

[@tintin639]

Excellent. Very informative. Thank you.

[@ericad8616]

About the CD you found at the roadside memorial. Chrysalis was the name of the label that put out the CD "Chrysalis Records". The CD itself appears to be from the group Jethro Tull who was signed with Chrysalis. I don't really know of any Jethro Tull songs about James Dean , though maybe whoever the fan was that left the CD associated something in their lyrics with him.

[@Asiablue]

Those goggles…! Now, THAT is a surprise!

[@diontaedaughtry974]

So sad, Great video 👍👍

[@joemathews8115]

Great video! Thanks!

[@mariecourtney7672]

I drove past this site a couple times when i was driving trucks interstate back in 2001 - 02 ..RIP Jimmy Dean

[@grumpyoldwizard]

Thanks!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you! We really appreciate it.

[@p.j.gannon1646]

This is so cool thank you 👍🏼

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad you liked it!

[@hannahcarvalho8664]

69 anos atraz wow ❤James Dean forever ❤❤❤❤

[@garth6665]

Thank you for sharing

[@shutupkevin789]

CD was a Chrysalis Records release of Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung” album. The track “Locomotive Breath” describes a train that won’t slow down….

[@barbaragravely920]

Thank you. Respect

[@memowilliam9889]

There's a video somewhere on KZbin of a guided tour of every place (as far as he could tell) that JD stopped after leaving his home. It was an extensive investigation through old photographs and Google Earth. At the crash site he produced information that tried to pinpoint exactly where the crash happened -- because the intersection had since changed. I wish I could find the video.

[@stingk5295]

Great Video!

[@tomcisneros5965]

Even to this day that's a bad intersection. It's gotten better and they are currently improving it but many people have died at this site.

[@AlphaZuluPhotography]

You know I always knew he died in an accident driving his Porsche I just always assumed he was speeding and being crazy. I never knew it wasn’t even his fault. Keep up the good work!

[@organboi]

Some people want to make it sound like he lived dangerously and it got him killed. Not true. James Dean was cut off by the other moronic driver. There weren't even skid marks. Maybe Dean picked up speed to get around the guy. I don't know enough yet. But there are forensics that have been done. Turnip guy cut him off. He even admits he didn't see James. Was he blind? Not wearing glasses when he should have. I've yet to see a full explanation of the incident. Short KZbin videos tell us next to nothing.

[@davidotto5040]

It was his fault. The accident investigation showed that all blame was on James Dean.

[@TheBlueDogMan]

@@davidotto5040 he definitely had comparative negligence in the accident. Still a huge tragedy, though Mr. turnip seed must’ve suffered greatly throughout his life as well.

[@horizon42q]

Excellent narration

[@mitchmitchell80]

Very nice. Thanks!

[@jacklambert1521]

Such a sad fate. Young, handsome as hell, on his way to the top. And this is how it ends. Sometimes, people who play with fire end up burning themselves.

[@jmbman]

If memory serves me correctly, across the highway from the memorial in Cholame was the site of a old mechanics garage where James Dean's car was towed to after the accident.

[@R.Bobbee777]

A motion picture movie should've been made on James Dean's life years ago. It's about time to make a movie about "the rebel without a cause." RIP James Dean(1931-1955) Gone waaaay too soon.

[@CactusAtlas]

See the crash site and have a piece of fudge! 😅 I don't know why but I find the combo of tourist goodies with the meaning to be rather odd but hey, travelers need pick me ups. The memorabilia and goggles are rather cool! And love all the road footage. Really effective with the story-telling. Seriously random stuff at the crash site though! 🤔

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yes, some of the stuff made me wonder if some people know some things about James Dean that the rest of us don't. I just figured people had stuff they wanted to get rid of and figured why not leave it on the side of the road in tribute to James Dean.

[@organboi]

​@@SidetrackAdventuresThat's exactly it. Fans often get crazy. They always dump anything they find in their car. I visited his grave last week, and someone put fried wheat tortilla chips on his headstone. Awful. I got rid of them. The rain had soaked them too. Not even squirrels wanted it. And people kiss the stone with lipstick, and it requires immense efforts to clean off. Some local woman figured out a way to do it, but it's hard. The good thing is that the OTHER side of the grave stone is clean. Nobody seemed to put stuff on that side (also with his name and dates). That's the side where the body lay, not the side facing the little road.

[@Armis71]

I believe the Porsche ended up just a little off from the shrine people made. If you freeze from at 6:09, and look a little further down the fence you'll see the a portion made of three larger (wider) wooden posts. Why is it the only distinct wooden posts in a fence line that stretches for miles in HW 41 that are different? Could someone have done that on purpose to preserve the actual crash site years or decades ago? Who knows! Compare that spot with photos of the crash site that's facing the west, it would be just around that area at those wooden posts. Freeze from 7:47. The isolated trees on the mountain facing west are still there and some landmarks on Cholame Valley Rd. are still there (the big entrance sign where I believe where Sidetrack Adventures parked his car, the power line post and wooden arch just on the left of the SD baseball cap) and you can gauge where the Porsche ended up with the landmarks on the mountain.

[@josephmartinez8803]

That intersection was rearranged. Even 46 leading down the hill was a straight shot in '55. Now days, it curves before straightening out.

[@Dr_KW]

Those wider fence "posts" are usually a gate it's common in central ca

[@mikemiller9119]

Its hard ti believe that there are people still around that new about him.

[@victormanz9451]

Great Channel

[@WootTootZoot]

The fudge shop at Blackwells corner is actually around the corner from the lemonade stand.

[@josephmartinez8803]

What a stupid remark!

[@alekshewitt]

Fun Local's Fact: the site of the makeshift crash site actually started as a memorial for a motorcyclist who died at the spot. People assumed it was for James Dean and the memorial shifted. It gained even more popularity after the movie The Disaster Artist featured it in one of their scenes. Many people have died at that intersection over the years, with locals giving the road the moniker, The Bloody 46.

[@markbransford528]

The CD you picked up was a copy of Jethro Tull's Aqualung album. Chrysalis was the record company. Still can't make the connection.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I think a lot of the stuff is just stuff people had in their car and figured its a good chance to get rid of it.

[@jz55859]

Just FYI - The CD is Aqualung by the band Jethro Tull recorded and released by Chrysalis Records.

[@andyjay729]

Not long before James's death, he appeared in an anti-speeding PSA wherein he told viewers, "The life you save may be my own."

[@organboi]

Holy crap. Maybe it should have been an "anti-driving into oncoming traffic" video aimed at careless drivers like Turnupseed.

[@organboi]

Your description of the moment before the crash puzzles me. Why mention a side step maneuver. The fact remains Turnip Head cut Jimmy off. He admits he never saw Dean's car. They were his first words when help arrived. "I swear I didn't see him." Donald murdered a legend in the making. Dean's last words were, "He's got to see us. He sees us." But he did NOT see the Porsche. And if James had been a more DEFENSIVE driver, he might have not collided. There were no skid marks. He simply plowed right into DT as he cut Dean off. He had to live with thag guilt the rest of his life, no matter whose fault the authorities claimed it was. Bottom line: DT turned directly into Jimmy's path. End of story. So horrific I can't even imagine.

[@hectorlabbe]

That’s rude writing that Donald murdered a legend when it was clearly an accident!!!

[@kmath50]

At that time, 466 was part of the US Highway system, running from Kingman, AZ to Morrow Bay, CA. It was decommissioned and replaced by state routes later.

[@shannonlong6640]

You should do a historical video about James Lassen .

[@davidduganne5939]

Watching on the anniversary date of the crash. Sep 30... interesting video 👍

[@Mrpegs1]

The CD is: Jethro Tull album was called Aqualung on the Chrysalis label released in 1974. It was regarded as a concept album featuring a central theme of "the distinction between religion and God", I enjoyed this video Thanks

[@swithinbarclay4797]

If we happened to live in a closely aligned parallel time band, where this wreck never happened, just imagine how Dean may have dominated the Movie/TV scene, even right up into this day, even right into his early 90's--and also--along with Jimi Hendrix surviving his drug overdose assassination, also in a September of 1970--almost exactly 15 years later. Our music today would then be radically different!

[@tonyz376]

One correction: Turnipseed would've been traveling east and Dean would've been traveling west towards the 101, otherwise a great video...traveled that road many times and boy has it changed over the years.

[@lifewithjosef]

Just north of the accident site is the hamlet of Parkfield, which bills itself as the Earthquake Capital of California. The Parkfield Cafe is a good place to eat. As always, love your content!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I'll have to check it out next time I head through the area.

[@hobamasucs]

And it does get "HOT' there ! Also be on look out for Rattle Snakes !

[@QueenJasmine2011]

I remember when me and my boyfriend and the time made a pit stop here and I felt so off here. I was kinda scared. Now, I know why.

[@RustyMuck]

7:02 - that’s a Jethro Tull album. Chrysalis was the record label :)

[@toddnolastname4485]

My grandparents ran a store in Shandon, which is near there. Not sure when they were there.

[@SabineBeckerPUSH]

What I found the most intriguing is the orange goggles were found sixty ears after the crash.

[@lawrencebrandt8448]

been there at Blackwells corner , didnt know the accident was at 41 & 446 .

[@timparker2985]

Hi there. I read that James had shown the Porche to British actor Alec Guinness, who apparently had a very bad feeling about the car, and advised James to get rid of it. Of course he didn't, and the rest is history. Possibly Guinness had an early encounter with the 'Force', as it was he who portrayed Obi Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars movie.

[@26DeislerFCB]

nice details

[@Abijah12411]

🥺 I find myself corrected...I don't know why I thought his car flew off 'dead man's curve' 🤔 ..thank you for this video

[@Frank-mu5yz]

Dead man's curve...Jan an Dean.. Mantiseto drive California.. Near Santa Barbara California. Singing Duet. Song Dead man's curve ..was written by duet. Paralyzed for life.

[@LeeFred78]

Another thing that has changed at Blackwell's Corner are those gas prices...whoa!

[@Mickcotton]

Very Cool 😎

[@shannonlong6640]

Mount Lassen is named after him, and he was one of the early settlers of California.

[@dougtodd305]

He was born in Indiana,koo koo

[@shannonlong6640]

Not James Dean.

[@shannonlong6640]

Actually I just found out his name was Peter Lassen.

[@dougtodd305]

👍 ok

[@sebclot9478]

I believe you are mistaken about the location of the intersection being different than at the time of the crash. True, the road has been realigned and widened, but does not appear to have been realigned at the 41/46 intersection. You if you look at the old routing on Google Maps/Earth, you can see that the old road merges with the new road a few hundred yards east of the intersection. There is no evidence of the old road deviates significantly from the new routing west of that point. If anything, the new routing appears to be ever so slightly to the south of the original routing at the intersection. Mostly due to the lanes being widened in that direction. I have previously heard this claim that the original intersection was further south in the field, but the available evidence doesn't support this claim. Comparisons of period aerial photos with current satellite photos supports the conclusion that the intersection location is largely unchanged. This idea of the moved intersectioin seems to be based on the routing further east which was indeed moved further north. A few hundred feet in some cases. But this realignment does not extend to the 41/46 intersection.

[@cwj9202]

Having trucked through there thousands of times in the '60's and '70's, I was wondering if someone was going to mention that bit. The 41/46 interchange is larger today than it was in the '50's due to slightly enlarging it, and I believe the radius from 41 on to 46 was decreased.

[@mikeolmsted328]

I go that way occasionally. The 46,41 site is still active.

[@TheFunkhouser]

He pulled right in front of James car! OMG dude!

[@omertaword583]

i love james dean