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Donald Turnupseed

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Oddity

The Resume

    (April 18, 1932-July 13, 1995)
    Born in Tulare County, California
    Former Cal Poly student
    Driver of the 1950 Ford Tudor that fatally collided with the 1956 Porsche Spyder driven by James Dean (September 30, 1955)

Why he might be annoying:

    His name lends itself to parody (Turnip Seed, 'Turn Up Speed,' Donald Trump).
    When he made a left turn onto Route 41 headed north from college, toward Fresno, <2890>Dean<2890> apparently tried to steer his Spyder in a 'side stepping' racing maneuver.
    With insufficient time and space, the two cars ended up in a head-on collision, killing Dean instantly.
    Dean's apparent last words to Rolf Wutherich were: 'That guy's gotta stop ... He'll see us' (evidently he didn't).
    He gave only one interview - a day after the accident - and then to his local paper.
    There are endless conspiracy theories and internet rumors surrounding the crash (murdered by studio execs, faking his death, the Porsche Curse) which were granted further credence by his perpetual silence on the matter.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was a Navy Vet.
    He hitchhiked home in the dark after the accident.
    He sustained injuries - relatively minor by comparison - from the car accident.
    He very likely did not see Dean’s Porsche until it was too late (and it is still heavily debated as to whether or not the actor was speeding at the time).
    A coroner's jury issued a verdict of 'accidental death with no criminal intent,' finding him not guilty of any contributory wrongdoing in Dean's death (October 11, 1955).
    He ran a successful family electrical contracting business for years after the accident.
    He was hated by James Dean fans and received death threats for years after the accident.
    He was portrayed as meeting and reconciling with James Dean in the acclaimed short film 'Two Friendly Ghosts.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 17 Votes: 82.35% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 21 Votes: 57.14% Annoying