11 Deadly Celebrity Car Accidents

Tracy Morgan was lucky to escape with his life after surviving a deadly car crash that killed his friend and mentor James McNair. Other celebrities, however, were not so fortunate.

Tracy Morgan was lucky to escape with his life after surviving a deadly car crash that killed his friend and mentor James McNair. Other celebrities, however, were not so fortunate.

1. Paul Walker

Hollywood was left stunned by the sudden death of Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker in November 2013. The 40-year-old father-of-one died while taking a spin with his friend Roger Rodas in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. Walker was in the passenger seat when the car – which was traveling at approximately 90 mph – slammed into a light pole and burst into flames.

2. Ryan Dunn

After risking his life performing deadly pranks and stunts on TV, Jackass star Ryan Dunn died when his Porsche 911 flew off a Pennsylvania road in 2011. According to a police report the 34-year-old – who had a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit – was driving at 130 mph when the vehicle smashed into a guardrail, crashed into the woods and burst into flames. Both Dunn and his passenger Zachary Hartwell were killed.

3. James Dean

“If you get in that car you will be found dead in it by this time next week.” Seven days after Alec Guinness uttered those prophetic words to James Dean in September 1955, his fellow actor was dead. The 24-year-old, who died from a broken neck, was killed when his Porsche Spyder 550 collided with another car that had cut across him.

4. Princess Diana

Princess Diana’s life was cut short in August 1997 when the car she was riding in slammed into the pillar of a Paris tunnel. She initially survived the accident but succumbed to her injuries in a hospital a few hours later. Neither Diana nor her companion Dodi Fayed had been wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision. Meanwhile their driver, Henri Paul – who also died – was found to have a high level of alcohol in his system.

5. Grace Kelly

Fifteen years before Princess Diana’s death, Princess Grace of Monaco was involved in a car crash that ultimately claimed her life in September 1982. The former Hollywood actress suffered a stroke while she was driving her Rover, missed a hairpin turn on a windy road and somersaulted off a 120-foot cliff. The 52-year-old died of her injuries a day later but her daughter, Princess Stephanie who was also in the car, survived.

6. Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes

An automobile accident claimed the life of Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes in April 2002. The TLC singer was just 30 when she died while on a vacation in Honduras. The SUV Lopes was driving hit two trees and rolled over after she swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle.

7. Jayne Mansfield

Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay was lucky to survive the 1967 car crash that took her mother, Jayne Mansfield’s life. Mansfield was a passenger in the front seat of a 1966 Buick Electra 225 when it crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer in Louisiana. Hargitay – who was just three at the time – was sitting in the back with two of her siblings, who also survived.

8. Marc Bolan

English rocker Marc Bolan died in September 1977 after the Mini 1275GT that his girlfriend Gloria Jones was driving slammed into a fence in southwest London. Bolan – who was 30 – died instantly. Ironically the singer reportedly never learned to drive because he feared dying prematurely.

9. Dottie West

Country singer Dottie West was running late for an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry when the car she was in crashed on the way to the venue. Her neighbor – who was driving the vehicle at the time – lost control of the car, which flipped over. West suffered severe internal injuries including a ruptured spleen and a lacerated liver. She died a few days later on September 4, 1991.

10. Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage

The wrestling world lost a star in May 2011 when Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage died after having a heart attack while behind the wheel of his car. According to Florida Highway Patrol, the 58-year-old’s Jeep Wrangler leapt over a concrete median, veered into oncoming traffic and “collided head-on with a tree.” His wife, Lynn, who was also in the car survived but Savage died from his injuries.

11. Sam Kinison

Famed comedian Sam Kinison was just 38 when he died after a pick-up truck slammed head on into the vehicle he was driving. The former preacher – who died while driving from his California home to a sold out show in Laughlin, Nevada – suffered a dislocated neck, among other injuries. The 17-year-old who was behind the wheel of the truck had been drinking alcohol.