Jayne Mansfield's crash site

This is the site where actress Jayne Mansfield was killed in a car crash.

It is situated on the Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans, Louisiana—just one mile south of the Rigolets Bridge.

Rise to fame

Mansfield was a Playboy Playmate, beauty contestant, and actress who actively courted media attention by appearing in newspaper photographs, wearing revealing outfits, and purposely having wardrobe "malfunctions".

At the height of her fame, she starred in popular movies such as "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" (1957), "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956), and "Too Hot to Handle" (1960). She also performed in nightclubs, acted in Broadway productions, and appeared on television shows.

Mansfield was married three times and had several highly publicized relationships. She was also allegedly "involved" with high-profile men such as John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and billionaire Jorge Guinle.

Throughout her career, she was constantly compared to Marilyn Monroe, who was considered to be Hollywood's reigning "blonde bombshell".

Crash

In the early hours of June 29th, 1967, Mansfield left Biloxi, Mississippi, in a 1966 Buick Electra luxury car.

That night, she was traveling with her lover, Sam Brody, her driver, Ronnie Harrison, and her three children.

Their intended destination was New Orleans, where Mansfield was scheduled to appear on a local daytime television program the following afternoon.

Roughly 90 minutes into their journey, they crossed the Rigolets Bridge, heading south on Highway 90.

Harrison was driving roughly 80 mph (130 km/h), despite the mist and fog of the marshland, which would have distorted his sense of distance and reduced his visibility.

Unbeknownst to Harrison, a large tractor-trailer (lorry) had slowed down up ahead to accommodate a mosquito fogging truck, which was pumping out a large, thick cloud of insecticide.

Shortly after the car made its way around a large bend, it slammed into the back of the trailer.

The impact was so great that the top of the Buick was ripped off, leading to reports that they had been traveling in a convertible.

Mansfield, Harrison, and Brody were all killed instantly. The three adults, who were sitting in the front, sustained multiple head traumas and fractures that were incompatible with life.

The car hit the truck with such force that the 34-year-old actress was tossed out of the vehicle. When the authorities arrived, her body was lying on the shoulder of the road.

Miraculously, her three children survived the crash with minor injuries because they were asleep in the back.

Aftermath

Although there were initial reports that Mansfield's head had been decapitated, witness accounts, accident photographs, and her autopsy report confirmed that this was false.

At the time of impact, she was wearing a blonde wig, which flew off and became stuck in the windshield. The sight of this wig in photographs fueled rumors that it was her head.

Following Mansfield's death, the trucking industry began fitting underride guards on the back of trailers. These guards help to prevent cars from going underneath the trailer during a collision.

To this day, they are often referred to as Mansfield bars.

Photos

Photos of the site and other related images.

Crash site

Image source: Google Maps

There is a memorial shrine at the side of the road.

The three crosses, which are labeled Jayne, Ron, and Sam, overlook the exact spot where the crash occurred.

The crosses were placed here in 2019 after a local historian discovered that the previous memorial site was incorrect.

Ron Harrison (top right) was just 19 years old at the time of his death.

Sam Brody (bottom left) was a divorce attorney who often represented celebrities. He had started living with Mansfield one year before the accident.

Mansfield battled alcoholism after her career nosedived in the mid-1960s. She and Brody allegedly had several drunken brawls during their relationship. There were also reports that Brody was physically abusive towards Mansfield's eldest daughter.

Final journey

This aerial image shows the route that Mansfield took that night.

Interstate 10 (I-10) didn't exist back in 1967. As a result, they would have had to take the coastal route along Highway 90.

Dead Man's Curve

In this aerial image, you can see that there is a large "Dead Man's Curve" in the road.

When Harrison came around the bend, he had roughly 6–8 seconds before impact.

His speed, coupled with the dark and foggy conditions, meant that he had very little time to react. Due to the time (2:25 a.m.), it is also possible that he was feeling tired.

Judging by the impact, it seems as though Harrison didn't see the truck until it was far too late.

Original memorial site

Originally, the memorial site was situated at this location, which is five miles south.

However, it was moved in 2019 after a local historian read the police files for the accident and discovered that the site was incorrect.

Unfortunately, this means that anyone who made the pilgrimage to Mansfield's death location in the past ended up visiting the wrong place.

Coordinates: 30.090525, -89.781553

Google Maps

Correct location

As you can see, there is a sizable distance between these two locations.

The most likely explanation for this mistake is that someone incorrectly determined that the accident occurred at the most southerly bend instead of the one that is close to the Rigolets Bridge.

These kinds of "factoids" are extremely common, especially in high-profile cases.

They can form when someone takes another person's theory or assumption and passes it on as fact. The "factoid" is then repeated by others until it eventually becomes an accepted truth.