Chappaquiddick incident

car accident in 1969 on Chappaquiddick Island

The Chappaquiddick incident was a car crash that happened at Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, on Friday, July 18, 1969.[4][5] The accident was caused by Senator Ted Kennedy's drunk driving, and resulted in the death of his 28-year-old passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, who was trapped inside the vehicle.[6][7][8][9]

Chappaquiddick incident
DateJuly 18, 1969 (1969-07-18)
LocationChappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts
OutcomeTed Kennedy pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury.[1][2][3]
DeathsMary Jo Kopechne

The Chappaquiddick incident became a nationally known scandal, while occurring during the Apollo 11 spaceflight. Many said the incident led to Kennedy's decision not to campaign for President in 1972 and 1976.[7][8][9]

A movie was made of the incident in 2017 with Jason Clarke as Kennedy and Kate Mara as Kopechne.

References

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  1. "Chappaquiddick's Echoes". newyorker.com. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  2. Wills, Garry (April 29, 1976). "The Real Reason Chappaquiddick Disqualifies Kennedy". Retrieved May 31, 2018 – via www.nybooks.com.
  3. Kelly, Michael (April 15, 2016). "Ted Kennedy on the Rocks". gq.com. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  4. "Ted escapes car plunge; woman dies". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 19, 1969. p. 1A.
  5. "Kennedy involved in fatality". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. UPI. July 20, 1969. p. 1.
  6. "Charge to filed against Kennedy". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 20, 1969. p. 1A.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Putzel, Michael; Pyle, Richard (February 22, 1976). "Chappaquiddick (part 1)". Lakeland Ledger. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1B.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Putzel, Michael; Pyle, Richard (February 29, 1976). "Chappaquiddick (part 2)". Lakeland Ledger. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1B.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Jacoby, Jeff (July 24, 1994). "Unlike Kopechne, the questions have never died". The Day. (New London, Connecticut). (Boston Globe). p. C9.