10 Stars We Lost in Tragic Road Crashes

Fame can make celebrities seem almost untouchable, especially when their faces remain frozen in movies, television shows, album covers, and photographs decades after they're gone. Real life, of course, offers no such protection.

Some of the biggest names in entertainment have died in road crashes, sometimes at the height of their careers and sometimes under circumstances that seemed especially cruel or improbable. James Dean was only 24. Princess Diana was 36. Paul Walker, a star forever associated with fast cars on screen, was just 40.

These 10 actors, musicians, entertainers, and cultural icons all lost their lives in vehicle crashes. Rather than dwell on the disturbing details, we're remembering who they were, what made them famous, and the careers they left behind.

James Dean barely had time to become a movie star before becoming something even bigger: a symbol of youthful rebellion. Born in Indiana in 1931, Dean starred in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant. On Sept. 30, 1955, he was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder in California when it collided with another vehicle near Cholame. Dean died at 24. Only East of Eden had been released before his death, meaning much of the legend surrounding him grew after he was already gone.

Paul Walker became an international star as Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise, though his film credits also included Varsity Blues, She's All That, Eight Below, and Takers. Walker was a passenger in a Porsche driven by his friend Roger Rodas when the car crashed in Santa Clarita, California, on Nov. 30, 2013. Both men died. Walker was 40 and was still working on Furious 7 at the time. The film was ultimately completed with help from his brothers and visual effects.

Diana, Princess of Wales, became one of the most recognizable women in the world after marrying the future King Charles III in 1981. Even after their divorce, her humanitarian work, celebrity, and connection with the public kept her constantly in the spotlight. Diana was seriously injured in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris during the early hours of Aug. 31, 1997. She later died at a Paris hospital at 36. Her death prompted an extraordinary worldwide outpouring of grief.

Ryan Dunn built a career doing things most people would strongly prefer not to try themselves. He became one of the best-known members of the Jackass crew through the MTV series, its movies, and other projects including Viva La Bam and Homewrecker. Dunn died on June 20, 2011, after the Porsche he was driving left the road in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania. His passenger, Zachary Hartwell, also died. Dunn had turned 34 just nine days earlier.

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was the rapper and unmistakable creative spark in TLC, the hugely successful group behind hits including "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs," "Creep," and "Unpretty." Lopes was in Honduras in April 2002 while working on several personal and creative projects. On April 25, she was driving an SUV near Jutiapa when she lost control of the vehicle. Other passengers survived, but Lopes died at 30. TLC continued as a duo rather than replacing her.

For a generation of kids who rushed home to watch Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Thuy Trang will always be Trini Kwan, the original Yellow Ranger. Born in Saigon in 1973, Trang eventually came to the United States with her family and broke into acting in the early 1990s. She later appeared in The Crow: City of Angels and Spy Hard. Trang was a passenger in a car that crashed while traveling in California on Sept. 3, 2001. She was 27.

Marc Bolan helped define glam rock as the flamboyant frontman of T. Rex. Songs such as "Get It On," "Children of the Revolution," "20th Century Boy," and "I Love to Boogie" made Bolan one of Britain's biggest rock stars of the early 1970s. He was a passenger in a car driven by singer Gloria Jones when it left the road and struck a tree in southwest London on Sept. 16, 1977. Bolan died just two weeks before what would have been his 30th birthday.

Jayne Mansfield was one of Hollywood's most recognizable stars and sex symbols of the 1950s, appearing in movies including The Girl Can't Help It, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, and The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw. After a nightclub appearance in Mississippi, Mansfield was traveling toward New Orleans when the car she was riding in collided with the rear of a tractor-trailer early on June 29, 1967. Mansfield was 34. Three of her children, who were also in the car, survived.

Sam Kinison turned a voice built for the pulpit into one of the most recognizable screams in stand-up comedy. The former preacher became a major comedy star in the 1980s through his live performances, television appearances, and comedy albums. On April 10, 1992, Kinison was driving to a performance in Laughlin, Nevada, when a pickup truck crossed into his lane on U.S. Highway 95 near Needles, California. Kinison died from injuries sustained in the collision. He was 38.

Cliff Burton was Metallica's bassist during the band's explosive early years and played on its first three albums: Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. His bass playing and musical knowledge helped shape the group's sound long before Metallica became one of the biggest bands in the world. On Sept. 27, 1986, while the band was touring Sweden, its overnight tour bus skidded off the road and overturned. Burton was killed at 24. Metallica eventually continued with bassist Jason Newsted.