In other words: her head was attached. The confusion likely arose because the skull was so severely fractured and the scalp so torn that the face was unrecognizable.
Just after 2:25 AM on June 29, 1967, a 1966 Buick Electra slammed into the rear of a tractor-trailer on a dark, foggy stretch of U.S. Route 90, just outside of New Orleans. Inside the car was one of the most recognizable blonde bombshells of the 1950s and 60s: Jayne Mansfield. The 34-year-old actress, known for her voluptuous figure, platinum hair, and publicity stunts, was killed instantly along with her boyfriend, attorney Sam Brody, and their driver, Ronald B. Harrison. jayne mansfield autopsy report
Introduction: The Day Hollywood Stood Still In other words: her head was attached
What actually happened was a “decapitation by proxy” of legend. The impact occurred because the tractor-trailer, owned by Tri-State Trucking, had slowed down behind a mosquito-control fumigator truck spraying fog. The Buick, traveling at an estimated 70 mph, failed to see the trailer’s rear. Because the trailer’s underride guard was defective, the car slid under the truck. The top of the Buick was sheared off at the level of the front seat headrests. Route 90, just outside of New Orleans