Back in the 1970s, Prefontaine set world records for running. He was also training to compete in the Olympics when his life was suddenly ended in a car crash at the young age of 24. In May of 1975, Prefontaine was returning from a party when he swerved his MG convertible to avoid hitting another car and instead collided into a stone wall.

On May 30, 1975, returning from a party Steve Prefontaine was driving down Skyline Boulevard, near Hendricks Park, when his 1973 MG B swerved left and hit a rock wall along the side of the street.

According to the Register-Guard, he left the party in his orange MGB convertible at about 12:15 am. After dropping off Alleman and Shorter, Prefontaine headed toward Skyline Boulevard, where his car struck a boulder alongside the road, flipped, and came to rest on top of him. He died before the car could be moved.

Pre was killed in a one-car accident in the early hours of May 30 on a wooded hillside street in Eugene, a road he ran over countless times training while attending the University of Oregon. He apparently lost control of his small sports car rounding a sharp curve, crossed the center-line, struck a rock wall and flipped over several times.