Dax Shepard's Shocking Death Confession: How He Escaped a Harrowing Car Accident as a Teenager

Dax Shepard opened up about a terrifying near-death experience he had as a teenager.

During an episode of his "Armchair Expert" podcast that aired on Monday, February 9, the actor, 51, revealed he had nearly died while riding in a car during his senior year of high school.

Shepard shared the shocking story while speaking with co-host Monica Padman and guest Kaley Cuoco as the group discussed true crime stories and personal brushes with death.

After Shepard asked Cuoco whether she had ever experienced a near-death moment, the actress admitted, "No. Is it weird that I kinda wish I did? I want one," adding that she was curious about what people see in those moments.

Shepard then shared his own harrowing experience, explaining, "I don't know what the definition is. But, I have had the moment, which is among the most unique feelings I've ever had in my life, where I went, 'Oh, I'm about to die. I'm like seconds away from dying.'"

The comedian recalled being in the back of a friend's Ford Probe late at night as they drove from Toledo to Detroit.

"I had folded the seats down in the back... and my friend was driving," Shepard said, explaining that he planned to sleep since he had to work early the next morning.

Shepard said the driver assured him he was fine to drive and had cruise control set to 85 miles per hour.

As Shepard drifted off, things suddenly took a dangerous turn.

"I just heard gravel hitting the side of the car," he recalled, before realizing the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. The vehicle veered off the road and began sliding sideways, surrounded by pine trees lining the Michigan interstate.

"I started to go... to grab the wheel and there was a moment I just knew it was too far gone," Shepard said. "I laid back down and then... we just launched in the air and we started rolling right down the highway."

As the car flipped, Shepard believed his life was about to end. "I'm like, 'We're gonna hit a tree and that's gonna be that,'" he said, recalling the moment he thought, "'Oh, wow, I'm gonna die in a second.'"

Surprisingly, Shepard said the fear quickly gave way to an unexpected calm. "The feeling was shockingly comforting," he admitted.

Shepard explained that he went from "complete fear" to feeling "very calm," speculating that chemicals in his brain were released and left him "weirdly at total peace with it."

The car ultimately rolled around 10 times and landed upside down, but miraculously avoided hitting a tree.

"The car was flat. We crawled out the windows... He was okay, and I was okay," Shepard said.

While the crash itself was traumatic, Shepard revealed the aftermath was equally unsettling.

For days after the accident, he questioned whether he had actually survived.

"For the next three days, I'd just be places that I felt very peculiar like, 'Am I dead? I know I died,'" he recalled, adding, "That was the weirdest part of the whole thing."

Despite walking away physically unharmed, the experience left a lasting impact on Shepard.

"I've never been able to fall asleep in a car ever since," he said. "There's no way I could sleep with someone else driving. That's a wrap on that."