John Nash, Subject of 'A Beautiful Mind,' and Wife Killed in Accident
by Shannon KeirnanJohn Nash, Nobel prize winner and subject of the film "A Beautiful Mind," along with his wife, was killed Saturday in a car accident in New Jersey.
Nash and Alicia Nash were passengers in a taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike when the vehicle hit a guardrail. The driver and another individual involved in the accident were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Nash, 86, and his wife were both killed.
Russell Crowe, who played Nash in 1998's "A Beautiful Mind" tweeted:
"Stunned... my heart goes out to John & Alicia & family. An amazing partnership. Beautiful minds, beautiful hearts."
Nash's 1950 dissertation on the fields of mathematics and economics had a "tremendous" impact on the world, said Princeton University.
"We are stunned and saddened by news of the untimely passing of John Nash and his wife and great champion, Alicia. Both of them were very special members of the Princeston University community. John's remarkable achievements inspired generations of mathematicians, economists, and scientists who were influenced by his brilliant, groundbreaking work in game theory, and the story of his life with Alicia moved millions of readers and moviegoers who marveled at their courage in the face of daunting challenges."
Nash married Alicia Lopez-Harrison de Larde, in 1957, but "mental disturbances" soon put strain on the marriage. Nash was admitted for schizophrenia treatment. He and his wife divorced in 1963 but remained close, and remarried in 2001.
Recently, the two had traveled to Norway, where Nash was awarded the 2015 Abel Prize by Norway's King Harald V.