Ted Kennedy did a lot of things in life--Including cause the death of Mary Jo Kopechne
From Wikipedia:
On July 18, 1969, Kopechne attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island, off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Kopechne reportedly left the party at 11:15 p.m. with Ted Kennedy, after he — according to his own account — offered to drive her to catch the last ferry back to Edgartown, where she was staying. She did not tell her close friends at the party that she was leaving and she left her purse and keys behind.
Kennedy stated he made a wrong turn on the way and came upon a narrow, unlit bridge without guardrails. Kennedy drove the 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 off the bridge and it overturned in the water. Kennedy extricated himself from the submerged car but Kopechne died, after what Kennedy said were several diving attempts to free her.
Kennedy contacted several aides that night, but failed to report the incident to the authorities until the car and Kopechne's body were discovered the next morning. Kopechne's parents said that they learned of their daughter's death from Ted Kennedy himself before he reported his involvement to the authorities, but that they learned Kennedy had been the driver only from wire press releases some time later.
A week after the incident, Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury. He received a two month suspended sentence. On a national television broadcast that night, Kennedy later said he was not driving under the influence of alcohol nor had he engaged in any immoral conduct with Kopechne.
A week after the incident, Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury. He received a two month suspended sentence. On a national television broadcast that night, Kennedy later said he was not driving under the influence of alcohol nor had he engaged in any immoral conduct with Kopechne.
Questions remained about Kennedy's timeline of events that night, about his actions after the accident, and the quality of the investigation and whether official deference was given to a powerful politician and family. The events surrounding Kopechne's death damaged Kennedy's reputation and are regarded as a major reason that he was never able to mount a successful campaign for President of the United States.
5 comments:
Most people do not even know about this. I was talking to my co-workers about it and it was news to them! My parents told me about it along time ago. The whole thing is very sketchy. I think it is interesting how many famous people have very questionable pasts and many people our age do not know anything about it. Perfect example Jane Fonda's involvement in the Vietnam War, if my father was not a veteran I probably would have no idea of the things she did and I probably would have seen all of her movies...
From the description you posted, it sounds like he tried his best to save her, but it just wasn't in the cards. I know no one knows for sure, though. I just prefer to remember him for the good he did - and there was a lot of it - rather than this one terrible night.
Good point Opti. I guess you are an optimist. I wonder though, like Teebee just what was going on when this girl died. I am skeptical enough to think the worst.
Ted was a power-hungry sleaze ball up to his final moments. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/08/23/kennedy_should_resign/
Read "Senatorial Privilege" by Leo Damore. He gives the best account of Ted's accident. Kennedy had been drinking that night. He left the accident scene and walked past some houses where he could have called the authorities. When he got back to the party he sat outside until some men finally noticed him and then they went to the bridge. The water was deeper by this time, the tide stronger, and of course it was still dark so repeated dives to the upside down car (Delta 88 not a "Delmont")were not successful in finding Mary Jo. Ted then left from there and swam!!!--because the ferry had already left and shut down for the night-- back to the mainland to his hotel room without notifying the police or any rescue agencies. In the morning, after consulting with his family counselers and handlers, only then did he talk to the police, and the press. There is evidence that M.J.K did not drown in the car where her body was found. she was kneeling in the upside-down car with her head in a pocket of air in the floorboards. Her lungs were not flooded. She could well have survived there for fifteen minutes and could have been saved with prompt action.
What I think happened:
Kennedy was known as a heavy drinker and was seen drinking heavily by others at the party. He was probably drunk when he drove off the bridge. and if you are driving drunk and it results in the death of your passenger, or anyone, you are guilty of manslaughter. Serious felony.
So it was imperative that Kennedy not talk to the police until he had a chance to sober up. Every drunk driver knows this, and Kennedy had many run-ins with the law as a partying college frat boy. He had to leave the scene and delay, delay, delay. Delay was best for Ted, but not for Mary Jo. She needed immediate action. He was too drunk to rescue Mary Jo, but also couldn't allow himself to be seen by witnesses in his besotted state: strangers that his family's P.R. machine might not be able to control, so he passed by the nearby houses, wasting Mary Jo's precious minutes--he assumed she was already dead-- as he walks back to the party and family friends who can be counted on to keep quiet. Read the book. It is exhaustive and damning.
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