5 Shocking Facts About The Jayne Mansfield Death Car And Its Tragic Legacy
The tragic story of the "Jayne Mansfield death car" remains one of Hollywood's most enduring and macabre legends, a tale that blends the glamour of a 1950s sex symbol with a horrific, life-altering accident. While the event occurred decades ago, on June 29, 1967, the details of the fatal collision—involving a 1966 Buick Electra and a tractor-trailer—continue to be a source of fascination and morbid curiosity, particularly as we approach the present day, December 24, 2025.
The accident not only ended the life of the dazzling 34-year-old actress but also directly led to a major, life-saving change in highway safety legislation across the United States. Beyond the immediate tragedy, the wrecked vehicle itself has become a traveling artifact of American tragedy, often displayed in museums, making its history as compelling as the star who died inside it.
Jayne Mansfield: The Life and Legacy of a Bombshell
Jayne Mansfield, born Vera Jayne Palmer in 1933, rose to prominence as one of Hollywood's most recognizable blonde bombshells, often positioned as a rival to Marilyn Monroe.
- Full Name: Vera Jayne Palmer (later Mansfield)
- Born: April 19, 1933, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
- Died: June 29, 1967 (Age 34), near Slidell, Louisiana
- Notable Roles: She was best known for her role as Rita Marlowe in the Broadway and film versions of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) and the musical comedy The Girl Can't Help It (1956).
- Marriages and Children: Mansfield was married three times. At the time of her death, she had five children.
- Jayne Marie Mansfield (from first husband Paul Mansfield)
- Miklós "Mickey" Hargitay Jr. (from second husband Mickey Hargitay)
- Zoltan Hargitay (from second husband Mickey Hargitay)
- Mariska Hargitay (from second husband Mickey Hargitay)
- Antonio "Tony" Ottaviano (from third husband Matt Cimber)
- Controversial Associations: In the mid-1960s, her life was marked by a bizarre and controversial association with Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan.
Mansfield was a shrewd businesswoman and a highly intelligent woman, despite her carefully cultivated "dumb blonde" persona. Her career was shifting towards nightclub performances and public appearances in the final years of her life, including a gig at the Gus Stevens Supper Club in Biloxi, Mississippi, just before the fatal trip.
The Fatal Crash: What Really Happened on US Route 90
The crash that claimed Jayne Mansfield's life occurred in the early hours of June 29, 1967, as she was traveling from Biloxi, Mississippi, to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she was scheduled for a television interview.
The vehicle was a gray 1966 Buick Electra 225 convertible.
Three people in the front seat were killed instantly:
- Jayne Mansfield (34)
- Ronald Harrison (Driver)
- Samuel Brody (Mansfield's lawyer and partner)
The accident took place on US Route 90, a stretch of highway near Slidell, Louisiana, which runs through the swampy regions outside New Orleans.
The cause of the collision was a massive impact with the rear of a tractor-trailer. The truck had slowed down because it was approaching a mosquito fogging machine—a common sight in the Southern US at the time.
The driver of the Buick, Ronald Harrison, was reportedly unable to see the slowed truck in the dark and the cloud of insecticide fog, driving the car directly underneath the trailer.
The sheer force of the impact caused the top of the Buick Electra to be completely sheared off. This detail is what fueled the persistent, though inaccurate, rumor that Jayne Mansfield was decapitated. Her death certificate officially listed the cause of death as a crushed skull.
The Survivors: Mariska Hargitay and the Children
Perhaps the most poignant detail of the crash is that three of Jayne Mansfield's five children were asleep in the back seat of the car at the time of the collision.
The surviving children were Mariska Hargitay, Zoltan Hargitay, and Miklos "Mickey" Hargitay Jr.
Mariska Hargitay, who was only three years old at the time, is now a highly successful actress, famous for her long-running role as Olivia Benson on *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*.
The children survived because the impact only destroyed the front cabin of the car, stopping just short of the back seat. Mariska Hargitay has spoken publicly about the trauma of the accident, stating she has no memory of the crash itself but carries the scar on her head from the wreckage.
Their survival is a miraculous detail that has been overshadowed by the sensationalism of the adult deaths, but it is a critical part of the tragedy's history.
The Enduring Legacy of the 'Mansfield Bar'
The horrific nature of the Jayne Mansfield crash had an immediate and lasting impact on vehicle safety regulations, creating one of the most important pieces of safety equipment on the road today.
Because the Buick Electra drove completely under the trailer, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandated a new federal regulation requiring a protective bar to be installed on the rear of all tractor-trailers.
This sturdy, horizontal bar is designed to prevent passenger vehicles from sliding underneath the trailer in a rear-end collision, thereby protecting the occupants from the type of catastrophic head and upper-body injuries that killed Mansfield and her companions.
The device is officially known as an underride guard, but it is widely referred to in the trucking and safety industries as the "Mansfield Bar" (or "DOT Bumper"), a grim, yet life-saving, tribute to the actress whose death spurred its creation.
The Current Status of the Wrecked 1966 Buick Electra
The remains of the Jayne Mansfield death car have had an unusual and sometimes controversial journey through the decades, becoming a macabre artifact of Hollywood history.
Following the accident, the severely damaged 1966 Buick Electra was salvaged and acquired by collectors. Its journey included a long display at the now-defunct Tragedy in U.S. History Museum in St. Augustine, Florida, where it was promoted with sensationalist signs.
In the most recent public accounts, the remnants of the car were purchased by and have been displayed at the Dearly Departed Museum in Los Angeles, California.
This museum specializes in Hollywood death and morbid history, and the car's body—still recognizable as the sheared-off shell of a Buick Electra—is one of its most famous exhibits.
While the exact location of the car's remains can sometimes shift between public display and private collection, its existence confirms that the physical evidence of the tragic night is preserved. It serves as a stark reminder of the crash that killed a star and, paradoxically, saved countless lives through the invention of the Mansfield Bar.
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