Chappaquiddick Incident: The Oldsmobile Delmont 88 that Prevented Another Kennedy to Become President

Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy had ambitions to follow his older brothers (John F. Kennedy) footsteps and run for president in 1972. What held him back from doing so is the incident in 1969 we know as the Chappaquiddick Incident.

On July 18, 1969, Kennedy had held a party on Chappaquiddick Island for all of his campaign managers to celebrate. Kennedy requested his keys from his chauffer to leave the party around 11:15, this was out of the ordinary as Kennedy rarely drove himself. With him left Mary Jo Kopechne, one of the employees managing his political campaign. Kennedy claims his intent was to take Kopechne to a ferry landing to return to Edgartown. Unfortunately, this isn’t what happened.

Kennedy made a wrong turn, leading to a one lane bridge. His car skidded off the bridge and into the Poucha Pond. Kennedy was able to swim free and claimed he attempted to rescue Kopechne from the car but could not. Deputies believed Mary Jo Kopechne death occurred between the hours of 11:30 pm and 1 am.

An off duty officer discovered the Oldsmobile Delmont 88 with Kennedy’s plates around 1 am. A diver discovered Kopechne’s body from Kennedy’s car around 9 AM the next morning. Kennedy left the scene and did not report the accident until after 10 A.M the next day.

Kennedy plead guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident and received a two-month suspended jail sentence. In 1970, judicial inquest concluded that Kennedy and Kopechne did not intend to take the ferry, and that Kennedy intentionally turned toward the bridge, operating his vehicle negligently, at too high a speed for the hazard which the bridge posed in the dark. The judge never got the opportunity to recommend charges as a grand jury intervened and gave no indictments.

The Chappaquiddick incident was national news and it influenced Kennedy not to run for president in 1972 and 1976.