Rescuers work the wreck of Albert Camus' custom-built Facel Vega automobile outside of Paris, France after it crashed into a tree at approximately 80 mph in 1957. Camus, aged 46, passed away at the scene; his friend, publisher, & driver of the car, Michel Gallimard, died a few days later.

This photograph shows the wreck of the Facel Vega automobile that ended the life of French philosopher and writer Albert Camus. On January 4, 1960, Camus was traveling with his friend and publisher Michel Gallimard when the car veered off the road and slammed into a tree at nearly 80 mph outside of Paris. Camus, just 46 years old, was killed instantly. Gallimard succumbed to his injuries a few days later.

Camus, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957, was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Known for works such as The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus, he explored themes of absurdity, meaning, and human resilience. His death was not only a tragedy for French intellectual life but also a moment that left readers worldwide stunned.

In the aftermath, a haunting detail emerged: in his briefcase was an unused train ticket. Camus had originally planned to return to Paris by rail but decided to ride in Gallimard’s car at the last moment. To many, this twist seemed like a cruel echo of the very absurdity Camus had spent his career writing about.

Added Fact: When police examined the wreckage, they discovered the unfinished manuscript of Camus’ final novel, The First Man, in the back seat. The handwritten pages were later recovered and published posthumously in 1994. The book, semi-autobiographical in nature, offered a deeply personal exploration of Camus’ childhood in Algeria and was seen by many scholars as his most intimate and mature work, one that might have marked a new direction in his philosophy had he lived.