10 Road Accidents Involving Well-Known Personalities

Road accidents are one of the leading causes of deaths across the world. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), only 7% of the world’s population, residing in less than 30 countries have adequate laws that address critical aspects of road safety. Probably one of the reasons why so many people get killed every year in road mishaps across the globe. Many celebrities and personalities too have lost their lives to accidents. Here are 10 accidents that hit the headlines because of the well-known people involved.

1. Paul Walker

Paul Walker died in a road accident at the age of 40 on November 30, 2013. The Fast and Furious franchise Actor was sitting as a passenger in a Porsche sports car when his friend, who was driving, careened into trees and a utility pole in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles.

2. Princess Diana

Princess Diana died in a car accident when she was 30-years-old on August 31, 1997, while being chased by photographers. The dark blue Mercedes-Benz she was riding in slammed into a tunnel near the Place de l’Alma in the heart of the City of Light. Her companion Dodi Al Fayed, aged 42, was also killed in the car crash.

3. Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly, Actor who later became Princess of Monaco, was 52-years-old when she was killed in a road accident on September 14, 1982. She was driving the car when she missed a turn and  somersaulted over a cliff, on her way to the Palace of Monaco, with her daughter Stephanie who survived the crash with injuries. There was immense speculation about the reason behind the crash – some reports claimed that she was driving rather recklessly, while others said that she suffered a stroke which rendered her incapable of maneuvering the car.

4. James Dean

James Dean died driving a silver Porsche 550 Spyder just nine days after acquiring it. The 24-year-old Actor was reportedly over speeding when he hit another car head-on in Cholame, California on September 30, 1955. Ironically, he was on his way to a race in Salinas, 90 miles south of San Francisco, and was given a speeding ticket a couple of hours before the crash.

5. Hema Malini

Actor and Politician Hema Malini’s car met with an accident on July 3, 2015, when her Mercedes rammed into a Maruti Alto in Rajasthan. The BJP leader’s car was allegedly speeding. While the actor wasn’t seriously hurt, a four-year-old girl travelling with relatives in the Alto was killed. The girl’s 6-year-old brother suffered fractures in both arms and legs and was admitted in the ICU of a hospital in Jaipur.

The driver of the Mercedes was booked under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, over-speeding and negligent driving.

6. Rajkumar Hirani

Rajkumar Hirani fell off a bike late at night on August 10, 2015, and fractured his jaw. One of the Filmmaker’s employees had bought a new bike and offered a ride to him. Mr Hirani reportedly accepted the offer, but couldn’t manage and balance the weight of the Royal Enfield.
7. Salman Khan

On September 28, 2002, Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser had crashed into men sleeping on a pavement outside a bakery in Mumbai’s Bandra, killing one and injuring four. The Actor was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and was acquitted of all charges by the Bombay High Court in December, 2015.

However, his acquittal has been challenged by the Maharashtra government in the Supreme Court, and the appeal accepted by the apex court.

8. Jaspal Bhatti

Popular Comedian and Film Director, Jaspal Bhatti died on October 25, 2012. The 57-year old was on a tour to promote his movie Power Cut when the car he was in, rammed into a tree. His son was driving the car and suffered minor injuries.

9. Sunil Grover

Comedian Sunil Grover, who shot to fame with his portrayal of a fictional small town girl character, Gutthi on Comedy Nights with Kapil, was travelling in his BMW when his driver lost control of the steering and hit an oncoming Alto. While Sunil was not injured, the three people in the Alto car suffered injuries and were rushed to the hospital.

10. Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt

Actors Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt met with an accident in Ahmedabad in July, 2014, during the promotion of their film Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. They were on their way to the airport in a yellow Audi when a police van reportedly hit the rear of their car at a signal. Fortunately, no one was injured.