In 1955, the American actor (and future icon) passed away at the young age of 24. These are James Dean's last words.
The Last Thing James Dean Said Before His Infamous Car Crash
Updated on Jul. 08, 2025
James Dean was just 24 years old when he was killed in a car accident in 1955. But though the tragedy happened 70 years ago, the Rebel Without a Cause actor remains such an icon that fans are still fascinated by the details surrounding his death. Chief among them: What were James Dean’s last words? Keep reading for all the details on the movie star’s last day, including his memorable final words.
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How did James Dean die?
During the early evening of September 30, 1955, Dean was behind the wheel of his brand-new $7,000 Porsche Spyder convertible, en route to a car race in Salinas, California, 90 miles south of San Francisco. His friend, German Porsche mechanic Rolf Wütherich, was sitting beside him.
Dean took a long two-lane highway to get to his destination. As he was approaching the junction with Highway 41 in Cholame, California, at 5:45 p.m., a Ford Tudor sedan entered the intersection and came too far into the Porsche’s lane. The cars collided, and Dean died instantly.
Witnesses on the scene maintained that Dean had not been speeding at the time of the accident, noted by the fact that the driver of the other car—a 23-year-old California Polytechnic State University student named Donald Turnupseed—had made a left turn directly into the Porsche’s path. But Dean had gotten a speeding ticket in Bakersfield, California, 84 miles from the crash site, at 3:30 p.m. that same day.
What were James Dean’s last words?
After the crash, Wütherich recalled James Dean’s last words: “That guy’s gotta stop … He’ll see us.” Sadly, Turnupseed had not seen them. Dean suffered a broken neck and succumbed to severe internal injuries.
Wütherich, whose feelings of guilt after the car accident never subsided, tried to take his own life twice during the 1960s, and in 1967, he stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife in a failed murder-suicide. He ended up dying in a drunk-driving accident in 1981. Turnupseed died of lung cancer in 1995.
How is James Dean remembered today?
With his ruggedly handsome looks and too-cool persona, James Dean was already on his way to superstardom. In fact, only one of his movies, the Oscar-nominated adaptation of East of Eden, had been released at the time of his death. Rebel Without a Cause, still one of the best teen movies, and the classic epic Giant opened shortly afterward. But the crash and his premature death made him a legend.
All these decades later, fans still flock to the scene of the crime to pay their respects: The James Dean Memorial, located at the crash site in Cholame, is a cherished tourist destination dedicated to commemorating the movie star. It includes memorabilia and plaques highlighting Dean’s achievements.
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Sources:
- History.com: “James Dean dies in a car accident”
- The James Dean Memorial
- The Telegraph: “James Dean highway to be widened 55 years after he died in a car crash”
- Los Angeles Times: “From the Archives: Film Star James Dean Killed in Auto Crash”
