Rick Carson eventually became a photographer, and he was especially interested in capturing images of landscapes and the natural world, according to the Los Angeles Times. In June 1991, he was driving along Cayucos Drive, a service road that runs alongside California's Highway 1, which is near the Pacific Ocean. Carson's car went over the edge of the road and fell down an embankment. Carson was thrown from the car, which had rolled over several times as it fell, per a UPI report. He died of his injuries.
It was believed that Carson had become distracted while driving. He may have been trying to take some photographs when the accident occurred. Camera equipment was found at the site. The official cause of the accident was listed as the vehicle making an unsafe turn.
Rick Carson was only 39 years old when he died. In his grief, his father Johnny Carson took four weeks off from his TV show after the accident. In his first TV appearance after his son's death, Johnny Carson shared photos of Rick and photos taken by his son with his viewers.
He spoke of his son, saying "When Rick was around, you wanted to smile. He had a laugh that was contagious as could be. He tried so darn hard to please," according to Esquire magazine. Carson went on to say that the loss of his son reminded him of what was really important in life.
