Dax Shepard's Harrowing High School Car Crash Experience
American actor and podcast host Dax Shepard has revealed a terrifying near-death experience from his senior year in high school that continues to affect him decades later. The 51-year-old shared the dramatic story on his popular Armchair Expert podcast this week, recounting how a routine drive turned into a life-threatening situation.
The Fateful Journey from Toledo to Detroit
Shepard described how his friend was driving them from Toledo to Detroit late at night in a Ford Probe. "It was late at night, and I had to work super early in the morning," Shepard recalled. "So I said, 'Hey, I'm going to sleep in the back. Are you good to drive?' He responded, 'Yeah, I'm totally fine.' He had the cruise control set at 85 miles per hour."
The situation took a dangerous turn when Shepard's friend, despite his assurances, fell asleep behind the wheel. "I just heard gravel hitting the side of the car," Shepard remembered. "I immediately looked up and he was completely slumped over. I started trying to grab the wheel, but there was a moment where I just knew it was too far gone. We had gone completely sideways."
The Terrifying Roll and Unexpected Calm
As the vehicle careened out of control, Shepard experienced what he described as a profound psychological shift. "I laid back down and then we just launched in the air and started rolling right down the highway," he said. "I definitely had this moment where I was like, 'Oh wow, I'm going to die in a second.' And the feeling was shockingly comforting."
The actor detailed his thought process during the accident: "I remember I went from complete fear - 'The car is out of control. Oh my god, we're going to roll. We're rolling. We're going to roll into a tree. I'm going to die.' Like all that calculus. And then I just went very calm. Whatever chemical they give you, the DMT or whatever, definitely started getting released. I was weirdly at total peace with it."
Miraculous Survival and Lasting Impact
Miraculously, despite the vehicle rolling approximately ten times and ending up upside down, both Shepard and his friend survived without serious injuries. "We did not hit a tree," the 6-foot-3 actor confirmed. "We crawled out the windows. My friend was okay and I was okay."
The experience left such a profound impact that Shepard questioned whether he had actually died for three days afterward. He described the incident as "highly memorable" and revealed that to this day, he refuses to sleep when someone else is driving.
Current Life and Family Context
The near-death revelation comes as Shepard and his wife, actress Kristen Bell, prepare to celebrate their daughter Lincoln's 13th birthday on March 28. The couple are also parents to 11-year-old daughter Delta. Shepard's podcast discussion of the traumatic event coincides with the pair maintaining limited social media engagement following controversy surrounding Bell's wedding anniversary post last October.
Bell, who will host the 32nd Actor Awards on Netflix on March 1, had written in her anniversary message: "Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: 'I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I'm heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would.'" The timing proved awkward as October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The couple, who met at a dinner party in 2007 and have collaborated on numerous projects including Hit and Run and The Good Place, continue their busy professional schedules. Bell is set to return as dating podcaster Joanne Williams in the third season of Nobody Wants This in 2026 and will portray Mrs. Claus in Violent Night 2, scheduled for release in December.
Shepard's candid sharing of this life-altering experience provides a stark reminder of how quickly ordinary situations can turn dangerous, and how such events can shape behavior and perspective for decades afterward.
