Princess Diana to Rishabh Pant: Most horrific celebrity car crashes
Rishabh Pant survived, but others have been less lucky; here are some celebs who succumbed to crashes, and a few who had a lucky escape like the Indian cricketer
Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant had a narrow escape on Friday when his Mercedes-Benz hit a divider, did a few somersaults, and caught fire on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who may have fallen asleep at the wheel, reportedly broke a window to escape just in the nick of time as the vehicle went up in flames. He escaped with a few cuts and bruises and a ligament tear on the knee.
Over the years, many celebrities have been involved in car crashes, and some have not been as lucky as Pant. Often, the result has been fatal. As Pant recuperates in hospital, here are 10 of the worst celeb car accidents in India and abroad in recent memory.
Cyrus Mistry, 2022
Former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry died in a car crash in Maharashtra on September 4, 2022. Mistry and three others were travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in a Mercedes when the driver, Dr Anahita Pandole, lost control and the vehicle crashed into a divider near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. Mistry and Jahangir Pandole died on the spot. Incidentally, both Mistry and Jahangir were in the back seat, where the airbags failed to pop out. Neither had their seatbelts on. Those in the front seat survived because both had seatbelts on and the airbags had popped out as well.
Princess Diana, 1997
The world was shocked on August 31, 1997 when the People’s Princess — as then British Prime Minister Tony Blair had described her — died in a car accident in Paris. Diana was only 36. The limousine carrying Diana and her lover Dodi al-Fayed crashed in a tunnel below a bridge as it tried to evade the paparazzi. Even after her divorce from then Prince Charles (now King Charles), Diana did not lose her popularity. Among other things, she was known for her support to humanitarian causes. Millions around the world mourned her death.
Rajesh Pilot, 2000
Congress politician and Squadron Leader Rajeshwar Prasad Bidhuri, popularly known as Rajesh Pilot, died in a car accident near Bhandana in Rajasthan’s Dausa district on June 11, 2000. He was 55. He was a former Union minister represented the Dausa constituency in Lok Sabha. The Maruti Gypsy Pilot was driving collided head-on with a Rajasthan Roadways bus. Pilot’s personal security officer, Hari Singh, died at the scene, while the politician himself succumbed to his injuries at the Sawai Mansingh Hospital. Three other occupants of the jeep were injured.
Paul Walker, 2013
Fast & Furious star Paul Walker died in a car crash on November 30, 2013. It was quite ironic that the star of a film franchise based on street racing was killed in an accident resulting from speeding. Walker, 40, was not driving the car though. His friend Roger Rodas, 38, was the man behind the wheel of his Porsche, which crashed into a light pole and tree and burst into flames. Both Rodas and Walker died of trauma and burns. Their bodies were charred beyond recognition. Walker was working on Fast & Furious 7 at the time of his death.
Jaspal Bhatti, 2012
India lost “comedy king” Jaspal Bhatti in a car crash near Shahkot in Punjab’s Jalandhar district on October 25, 2012. He was 57. Best known for his television series Flop Show in the late 1980s, Bhatti was much loved for his satirical take on the problems of the common man. The car was being driven by his son Jasraj Bhatti, whose film Power Cut was about to release soon. Bhatti was posthumously honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2013.
Anne Heche, 2022
Hollywood actor Anne Heche was pronounced legally dead on August 11, 2022, six days after being involved in a major crash in Los Angeles. Heche, who was driving the car herself, was involved in three crashes on that day, the final of which turned fatal. She drove the car into a residential building at Walgrove Avenue in LA’s Mar Vista neighbourhood, following which both the car and the building caught fire. Heche was hospitalised with severe burns and brain injury, but she succumbed after six days. She was 53.
Also read: Rishabh Pant accident: Cricketer wanted to surprise mother on New Year
Deep Sidhu, 2022
Punjabi actor-turned-activist Sandeep Singh Sidhu —better known as Deep Sidhu — died after his car hit a truck on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway in Haryana’s Sonipat district on February 15, 2022. Sidhu was an accused in the 2021 Republic Day violence case, when unruly farmers stormed the historic Red Fort during a tractor rally to protest three contentious proposed farm laws. Sidhu, 37, who was accused of being the key conspirator in the case, was out on bail when he died. The actor was travelling from Delhi to Bhatinda in Punjab when the accident occurred near Pipli toll plaza around 9.30 pm. Sidhu died at the scene, while his girlfriend survived with injuries.
Kevin Hart, 2019
American actor-comedian Kevin Hart was severely injured in 2019 when his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda went off the road, rolled down an embankment 10 feet below, and slammed into a tree. The accident happened in Calabasas, California, on September 1, 2019. Hart’s friend Jared Black was driving the car and lost control. The California Highway Patrol later determined that a crash was caused by reckless driving, CNN reported. Hart and Black sustained major back injuries, while a female passenger in the car escaped unhurt. None of them were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, which completely crushed the car’s roof.
Nandamuri Harikrishna, 2018
Telugu actor-director-producer and politician Nandamuri Harikrishna died in a car crash on August 29, 2018. He was a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister NT Rama Rao. He was on his way to Kavali in Nellore district when his car hit a median and went out of control. Harikrishna received serious head injuries and was declared dead in hospital. His sons, Jr NTR and Kalyan Ram, are both actors in the Telugu film industry. Incidentally, Harikrishna’s another son, Janakiram, also died in a car accident near Nalgonda in 2014.
Gloria Estefan, 1990
Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan survived a near-fatal accident on March 20, 1990, when she was at the peak of her career. A semi-truck crashed into her tour bus on a snowy Pennsylvania highway, breaking her spine and threatening to paralyse her and end her career. The queen of Latin pop did not give up, though. She made an arduous recovery and regained control of her life. Estefan went on to make history by becoming the first Latin artist to perform in the Super Bowl halftime show in 1992 and later again in 1999. She is a seven-time Grammy winner, all of which came after her accident. She also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and many other awards.
