Celebrity car crashes: What you can learn from their deadly mistakes

Gina Roberts-Grey and John Egan

They should go down in history for commanding performances in work and in life. Sadly, however, some celebrities also are well-known for tragic car crashes.

Think a deadly car crash can’t happen to you? Chances are, these celebrities didn’t think so. One of the legacies left by these dead celebs is what not to do on the road.

Ryan Dunn

Ryan Dunn, one of the stars of the “Jackass” TV and movie franchise, died June 20, 2011, in a single-car crash in Pennsylvania. News reports indicate his blood-alcohol level was 0.196 at the time of the wreck — more than twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, Dunn reportedly was driving his Porsche as fast as 140 mph.

The lesson: Don’t drink alcohol and get behind the wheel of a car. About one-third of U.S. traffic deaths each year are blamed on booze. A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that even blood-alcohol levels that are well below the U.S. legal limit (0.08) are associated with severe injury and death in car crashes.

“Jackass” star Ryan Dunn was drunk and speeding when he died in a fiery car crash.

In a statement about Dunn’s death, Mothers Against Drunk Driving says: “It’s unfortunate that it takes something like this to bring awareness to the issue of drunk driving, which kills nearly 11,000 people and injures another 350,000 each year in the U.S. MADD is committed to eliminating this 100 percent preventable crime, and it is our hope that this tragic incident serves as a reminder to others to plan ahead for a safe way home if their plans include alcohol.”

The second lesson: Don’t drive too fast. Traveling up to 140 mph, Dunn was going well beyond the posted speed limit.

In 2008, nearly 11,700 U.S. traffic deaths — or about one-third of all traffic fatalities — were linked to speeding, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A 2005 study by the traffic safety agency found that 41 percent of drivers who were legally drunk also were speeding, compared with 14 percent of sober drivers.

“Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while a driver reacts to a dangerous situation,” according to the study.

Princess Diana

Princess Diana died of internal injuries in 1997 after the Mercedes she was riding in slammed into a pillar when her driver lost control of the car. Toxicology reports showed the driver was intoxicated and had traces of antidepressants in his system. Two of the three other people in the car died, and Princess Di’s bodyguard (the only person to survive the accident) was the only person in the car wearing a seat belt.

The lesson: “Think twice before putting your life in someone else’s hands,” says Will Rizzutto, a retired high school driving instructor in Chicago. And never get into the car if the driver has had even one alcoholic beverage or if the driver is taking prescription drugs that may impair judgment. “Even one drink can slow your senses or give you ‘liquid courage’ to speed or take chances,” Rizzutto says.

James Dean

In 1955, Dean was behind the wheel of a new Porsche Spyder when he was killed at age 24. In addition to acting, Dean had taking up competitive race car driving. He was on his way to a race with his auto mechanic when he was caught speeding and received a traffic ticket for traveling 65 mph in a 55 mph zone. Shortly after that, the driver of a 1950 Ford Tudor approached in the opposite direction and attempted to turn at a fork in the road. The driver crossed into Dean’s lane; the two cars collided nearly head-on.

Dean survived immediately after the crash, but was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. Dean’s last words to his passenger reportedly were: “That guy’s gotta stop … He’ll see us.”

The lesson: Marshall says trusting other drivers to “do the right thing” is foolish. “You must always expect that the other driver may not notice you,” he says.

Grace Kelly

The fairytale life of the actress-turned-princess came to a tragic conclusion in 1982. Princess Grace of Monaco suffered a stroke while driving her car on a twisting mountain road. The car, along with Princess Grace and daughter Stephanie, plunged 150 feet. Grace died a day later; Stephanie survived. Even though she had a stroke, some have speculated that Princess Grace may have survived if she’d been wearing a seat belt.

Princess Grace of Monaco was not wearing a seat belt when the car she was driving veered off a road and crashed.

The lesson: “Not only can ‘clicking it’ spare you from a traffic ticket, it can save you a trip to the hospital or morgue,” Rizzutto says. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly two-thirds of people killed in American car crashes were not wearing seat belts.

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

Lopes, a member of the hip hop group TLC, was killed instantly in a car accident in 2002 in Honduras. Lopes was driving a Mitsubishi SUV when she attempted to pass a car. An oncoming truck forced her to veer sharply off the road, sending her car rolling several times and hitting several trees before finally landing upside down.

The lesson: Always give yourself enough visibility up the road before attempting to pass another vehicle, Marshall advises. “Before attempting a legal pass, make sure the road is straight and flat,” he says. “Better yet, stay patient and wait until you’re on a four-lane road and it’s safe to get around a vehicle.”

Jayne Mansfield

In the summer of 1967, Mansfield, two other adults and three of the actress’ children set out in a 1966 Buick Electra bound for New Orleans. In the wee hours of the morning, the car crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer that had slowed because of a truck spraying mosquito fogger. Mansfield’s car went under the truck. The three adults in the front seat were killed instantly; Mansfield’s children in the back seat survived with minor injuries.

Speculation that Mansfield was decapitated is an urban myth.

Following Mansfield’s death, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration began requiring a strong bar made of steel tubing, known as a Mansfield bar, be installed on all tractor-trailers.

The lesson: Drowsy driving is a no-no, Marshall says. “Your brain must be alert enough to process information, so rest up before heading out on long trips.” Driving well into the early morning hours should be balanced with frequent stops to pull over and sleep instead of driving straight through. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving results in 1,550 traffic deaths, 71,000 traffic injuries and more than 100,000 traffic accidents each year.