Dies in car crash

Bolan dies in a car crash in Barnes, London, on his way to his home in Richmond after a night out at a Mayfair restaurant. The 29-year-old singer was killed instantly when the car being driven by his girlfriend, Gloria Jones, leaves the road and hits a tree. Jones breaks her jaw and suffers from shock. The couple’s 20-month-old son was not in the car when they crashed.

Aram, who was following Bolan’s car, having been invited back to his house, recalls seeing the scene seconds after the crash:

As I came over the bridge with Richard [Jones (Gloria’s brother)] beside me, I can still in my mind see, so clearly, a purple car which looked like a little beetle. It was upright and it was smoking and there was a tiny glimmer of light from the moon, the night was so still. I said ‘we’ve got to get them out, this car might blow up’. I took my mother’s rug from the back of my car and put it on the ground. Some of the fans are comforted by the fact he was laid on a nice lady’s rug. I don’t think Richard thought Marc was dead, but I knew he was. Gloria was groaning and almost conscious. But Richard cried and said ‘please don’t leave me’.