Actress Jayne Mansfield, her driver, her attorney and her three children were traveling to New Orleans for an interview following a performance in Mississippi on June 28, 1967. The 1966 Buick Electra was traveling along the highway at 2 a.m. when the driver failed to notice that a semi had slowed down ahead. Because fog obscured the truck, Mansfield’s driver couldn’t slow down in time and the car slipped under the truck. The children, including actress Mariska Hargitay, were the only survivors because they were in the back seat. The accident spurred the development and implementation of federal regulations requiring rear protection devices — dubbed the “Mansfield bar” — that prevents cars from sliding under the semi’s trailer deck. It’s designed to withstand the impact, reducing the force transmitted to the occupants of the smaller vehicle. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration mandates the use of Mansfield bars on all semi-trucks.
