The disappearance of bimbo Jayne Mansfield with a chemical cloud as a shroud

Absolute rule: always be wary of mosquitoes. Especially the clouds of DDT that are supposed to eradicate them. During the night of June 29, 1967, a few dozen kilometers from New Orleans , a truck spraying high-dose insecticide was working on the marshy area that extends east of the Mississippi Sound on both sides of Route 90. Placed on the rear platform of a Willys Jeep, a cannon propelled a sticky cloud. The unhealthy veil settled over the two lanes and the surrounding bayous. The atmosphere was unbreathable.

And, above all, you can't see anything, except for the vehicle's taillights, flashing in the chemical fog. Overtaking? Impossible. It's around 2:30 a.m. when, just before reaching the Rigolets Bridge area, a 50-ton Western Star downshifts with all the power of its eighteen wheels. The truck has just attempted to accelerate without having seen the insect-fighting vehicle in its toxic cloud. Fortunately, it just...