Jayne Mansfield was a sex symbol of the 1950s. She starred in several Hollywood films, singing in several of them, and was an early Playboy Playmate along with Marilyn Monroe and Betty Page.
Her film career had slowed down in the 1960s, but she was enjoying a successful nightclub career. On the ill-fated night of June 28, 1967, Jayne was being driven to New Orleans from Biloxi with her three children in the back. On an average night, the windy narrow road in the middle of the night near the Riggolets had little visibility. That night a mosquito spray truck had gone through and left a dense fog. Her car ran into the back of the trailer and the adults in the front were killed instantly. The kids in the back survived, including Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: SVU fame.
Until recently, her death site had been memorialized a few miles away from the actual death site. After some locals reviewed police reports, they realized the first site was incorrect and created a new monument. The new memorial also honors the deaths of Sam Brody and Ronnie Harrison. Her death prompted passing regulation requiring that all trucks have rear bumpers so this wouldn’t happen again. They are informally known as Mansfield Bars.
