cassady had tried to commit suicide a few times when he was younger, and was unhappy. once he tried to freeze himself to death, waiting outside in cold temperatures during a car trip, but it took too long, and he got back in the car. early in 1968, while revisiting mexico, he was found lying alongside a railroad track, where he had been for a long time. exposure to harsh weather caused his death, just days short of his 42nd birthday. nobody knew if he was trying to kill himself or not, this time. a few people who knew him felt that he wanted to die, and had for awhile as he got older, and that cassady finally got his wish.