On April 16, 1960, rock legend Eddie Cochran was traveling in a cab from Bristol to London with his fiancée Sharon Sheeley, Gene Vincent, and Patrick Thompkins.
At about 11:50 pm, the speeding taxi blew a tire just after the viaduct, just before Rowden Hill. The taxi lost control, and slammed into a light post. Cochran attempted to shield his fiancée and was thrown from the car, sustaining massive head injuries.
Cochran was taken to nearby St. Martin's Hospital in Bath where he died the next day. Today, there is a memorial marker dedicated to Cochran at the spot where the accident occurred.
