On June 29, 1967, Mickey Jr., Zoltan and Mariska were riding in the backseat of a Buick Electra with their mom, as well as attorney Sam Brody—Mansfield’s boyfriend at the time—and their driver Ronnie Harrison.
They were on U.S. Route 90, heading from Biloxi, Miss., where Jayne had just performed in a nightclub act, to New Orleans. At around 2 a.m., the Buick had crossed into Louisiana when it crashed into the back of a trailer truck that was spraying mosquito repellent. The fog had apparently obscured Harrison’s vision, according to police at the time.
The children survived with cuts and bruises, and Mickey Jr. broke his arm, while all three adults were killed.
Seemingly spurred by photos from the scene showing a blonde wig lying in the road, grisly speculation that Mansfield was decapitated in the accident endures—and there was even a rumor that her head was interred separately at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
All untrue, according to an eyewitness.