Death on the Road Trivia Quiz

Answer: George Patton

George Patton died on December 21, 1945, from injuries suffered from an automobile accident which paralyzed him from the neck down. He had been a passenger in a limousine which crashed into an army truck near a railroad crossing. Patton was hospitalized in traction for over ten days when a blood clot moved to his heart and caused his death.

He was arguably the most successful and controversial American general in World War II. After the end of the World War II in Europe, he was appointed Governor General of Bavaria, but later he was relieved of that post due his reluctance to remove former Nazis from posts and his antisemitic statements.

Bernard Montgomery, leader of British forces in World War II, died in his sleep at home in 1976 at age 88. Georgi Zhukov, the leader of Russian forces, died in 1974 of a stroke at age 77. Douglas MacArthur, an American leader in the War of the Pacific and Korean War, died in 1964 at age 84 due to acute liver and kidney failure.

Answer: Basketball

Drazen Petrovic was one of the first European basketball players to succeed in the NBA. He once scored 112 points in a Yugoslav First Federal League game (40 of 60 shots, including 10 of 20 from the 3-point line and 22 of 22 free throws). After his early success in European leagues, he played one year in Portland before being traded to the New Jersey Nets, where he became one of the most accurate shooting guards in the NBA league.

In 1993 he was traveling to Warsaw for the Croatian national team for a qualification game in a car driven by his girlfriend. The car collided with a truck that had crashed through a median divider on the Autobahn; and Petrovic, who had been sleeping in the passenger seat, was ejected from the car and died from head injuries.

Answer: Motorcycle accident

T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) was born in Wales, and originally worked as an archeologist in the Middle East. At the onset of World War I he volunteered for the British army and became an intelligence officer involved in the Arab revolts against the Ottoman Empire.

At the war's end he worked in the British Foreign Office, coordinating with King Faisal of Arabia. Lawrence became famous worldwide due to sensationalist reports by American newscaster Lowell Thomas, and he published his account of the Arabian Revolt in "Seven Pillars of Wisdom".

Lawrence was an avid motorcyclist, and he died in 1935 when he crashed his motorcycle to avoid hitting two young boys on bicycles.

Answer: Ernie Kovacs

The American comedian, Ernie Kovacs (1919-1962), was a comedian in the early days of television, noted for his innovative humor and unscripted style. One of his earliest jobs was being a salesman for cigars, where he developed a habit of smoking up to twenty cigars a day. One of his earliest sponsors was Dutch Masters Cigars for whom he became a spokesman. His penchant for cigars was well-known and was often a part of his comedic roles.

Not to be left out, his wife, Edie Adams, starred in a long-running series of advertisements for Muriel Cigars - most noted for her rendition of "Hey, Big Spender", spend a little dime with me.

In 1962 Kovacs crashed into a power pole in Los Angeles and died almost instantly from head trauma. An unlit cigar was found near his hand, hinting that he may have been trying to light it when making a turn.

Desi Arnaz died from lung cancer, Jack Benny died from pancreatic cancer, and Don Rickles died from kidney failure.

Answer: Drowned after crashing into water

Jessica Savitch (1947-1983) became one of the first women to be lead journalist (anchor) for an American news network, when she held that position for NBC News. Before that Savitch was a very successful reporter for a Philadelphia television station, developing several lengthy news series. Many of the reports featured her as an active participant, such as being a law enforcement undercover decoy or participating in a police training program.

In 1983 she was being driven home from a date, when the car ran off the road into a towpath of the Delaware River. The car flipped over in 15 feet of water and became stuck in the mud as water rushed into the car. Savitch and her driver both died from asphyxiation before help arrived.

Answer: Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) was an important figure in the abstract painting, noted for his use of "drip painting". He was a reclusive and volatile individual, who suffered from alcoholism and probably had a bipolar disorder. He died in a single car collision, while under the influence of alcohol.

The other artists died from natural causes. Dali died from a heart attack. Kahlo died from a pulmonary embolism, and Chagall died from natural causes at his home.

Answer: Marc Bolan

Marc Bolan (1947-1977) was the lead singer for the band T Rex, an influential British band in the glam rock musical scene. As his band became better known, Bolan moved to electronic equipment, fantasy lyrics, and an androgynous look - trademarks of the glam rock style.

Bolan died when a car driven by his wife Gloria Jones hit a fence post and crashed. Ironically Bolan had never learned to drive, supposedly because he feared he would die before the age of 30.

Bing Crosby died from a heart attack after completing a round of golf, Sam Cooke was shot outside a motel in Los Angeles under disputed circumstances, and Johnny Cash died of complications from diabetes.

Answer: Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith (1892-1937) was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1930s. Nicknamed "The Empress of the Blues", she influenced blues and jazz singers of that era. She made over 160 recordings, including "The Saint Louis Blues", "Alexander's Ragtime Band", and "Downhearted Blues".

Smith was the passenger in a speeding car, which crashed into a truck while trying to pass it. She suffered blood loss and injuries that would lead to the amputation of her arm. Initially, she was treated by a doctor who saw the accident, and another witness went to a nearby house to call an ambulance. The ambulance arrived late, and she was driven to the black hospital in Clarkdale, Mississippi, and died the following morning without regaining consciousness.

The story that the local white hospital refused to treat Smith has been discredited, based on testimony by the doctor who treated her. It's unclear whether the quality of the hospitals for white and black people at that time was equal.

Ella Fitzgerald died from a stroke, Nina Simone died from the effects of breast cancer, and Lena Horne died from congestive heart failure.

Answer: Pete Conrad

Pete Conrad (1930-1990) was commander for the Apollo 12 mission, becoming the third person to walk on the moon. He later commanded the first crewed Skylab mission. After retiring from the space mission program, he became a vice-president of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation.

Conrad died in 1990 from injuries suffered from a motorcycle accident while on a long ride from his California home in Huntington Beach to Monterey.

The other three astronauts all died from cancer.

Answer: Duane Allman

Duane Allman (1946-1971) was a guitarist for the Allman Brothers band. Various surveys by Rolling Stone magazine have placed him among the top 10 rock guitarists of all time. Before the band attained stardom, Duane Allman was an accomplished studio musician, playing on many records of notable musicians.

Allman died from massive internal injuries when a truck stopped at an intersection in front of his speeding motorcycle. Allman swerved to miss the truck, but he was thrown from his motorcycle, which then landed on him.

Brian Jones died from drowning in his pool, although conspiracy theorists believe he may have been murdered, Jerry Garcia died from a heart attack that was brought on by weight issues, smoking, and drug usage, and Bobby Darin died after open heart surgery to repair valves in his heart that had been weakened by childhood rheumatic fever.