Jayne Mansfield Car Crash

Jayne Mansfield was born Vera Jayne Palmer in 1933. From a young age she enjoyed singing and playing her violin for any audience available, including toys and the neighbors. She was kindhearted and wanted to be a movie star.

She became a well known Hollywood actress and sex symbol. Although the demand for blond starlets declined towards the end of her career, she remained a popular celebrity.

She died at the age of 34 in a horrific car accident. The Jayne Mansfield car crash has been the subject of many rumors and speculations. She was traveling with her boyfriend, Sam Brody; the driver, Ronnie Harrison; and her children, Mickey Hargitay Jr, Zoltan Hargitay, and Mariska Hargitay.

They were traveling along US highway 90 near New Orleans. Although the road was serpentine and the night was foggy, their speed was an estimated 80 miles per hour. In front of them, a semi-truck slowed down for a mosquito-fogger truck, and the Electra carrying Jayne’s group slammed into the back.

The rear bumper of the truck sheared off the roof of the car as the car went under it, killing the three adults instantly. The three children were asleep in the back seat and suffered no significant injuries.

Although there have been rumors that the crash resulted in Jayne’s decapitation, this was not the case. These rumors were circulated by an uninformed reporter and encouraged by the discovery of Jayne’s blonde wig, which was found some distance from her body.

The Jayne Mansfield car crash resulted in the requirement of an additional bar being added to the bottom of the rear bumper on tractor trailers and other large vehicles. This bar is called the under-ride bar or the Mansfield bar.