How meanspirited and hatefilled can you get.
It was an ACCIDENT.
He certainly cared about this person far more than those attempting to torment him with the memory of it.
Wrong. If I knew someone was trapped in a car in the water and likely to drown, I would try to save them. I wouldn't even have to know their name.
What chaps me, besides the incident, is the bright light it shines on our vaunted two-tier justice system.
He left the scene of a fatal accident. I figure he couldn't have been too attached to the victim, or he'd have stayed there.
No, it was AT LEAST MANSLAUGHTER, which he WALKED away from almost scotfree.
Exactly what part of leaving her trapped in the car , swimming to safety and then neglecting to mention the incident for about 18 hours was accidental?
He certainly cared about this person far more than those attempting to torment him with the memory of it.
Yeah, sure.....he did, he left her to die..which I guess isn't as bad as mean spirited people that point that out,
"MEAN SPIRITED"...isn't that liberal speak for shut up and listen?
If you are driving drunk and you kill a passenger, another motorist or a pedestrian it is not an accident, it is homicide by motor vehicle while intoxicated. It is a felony and punishable by anywhere up to 5 to 10 years depending upon the State where it happens.
Unless you are a Kennedy, then it is an accident.
You are a moron if you say it was an accident one more time.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKkopechne.htm
This sound like an accident?
On 17th July, 1969, Kopechne joined several other women who had worked for the Kennedy family at the Edgartown Regatta. She stayed at the Katama Shores Motor Inn on the southern tip of Martha's Vineyard. The following day the women travelled across to Chappaquiddick Island. They were joined by Edward Kennedy and that night they held a party at Lawrence Cottage. At the party was Kennedy, Kopechne, Susan Tannenbaum, Maryellen Lyons, Ann Lyons, Rosemary Keough, Esther Newburgh, Joe Gargan, Paul Markham, Charles Tretter, Raymond La Rosa and John Crimmins.
Kopechne and Kennedy left the party at 11.15pm. Kennedy had offered to take Kopechne back to her hotel. He later explained what happened: "I was unfamiliar with the road and turned onto Dyke Road instead of bearing left on Main Street. After proceeding for approximately a half mile on Dyke Road I descended a hill and came upon a narrow bridge. The car went off the side of the bridge.... The car turned over and sank into the water and landed with the roof resting on the bottom. I attempted to open the door and window of the car but have no recollection of how I got out of the car. I came to the surface and then repeatedly dove down to the car in an attempt to see if the passenger was still in the car. I was unsuccessful in the attempt."
Instead of reporting the accident Edward Kennedy returned to the party. According to a statement issued by Kennedy on 25th July, 1969: "instead of looking directly for a telephone number after lying exhausted in the grass for an undetermined time, walked back to the cottage where the party was being held and requested the help of two friends, my cousin Joseph Gargan and Paul Markham, and directed them to return immediately to the scene with me - this was some time after midnight - in order to undertake a new effort to dive."
When this effort to rescue Kopechne ended in failure, Kennedy decided to return to his hotel. As the ferry had shut down for the night Kennedy, swam back to Edgartown. It was not until the following morning that Kennedy reported the accident to the police. By this time the police had found Mary Jo Kopechne's body in Kennedy's car.
Edward Kennedy was found guilty of leaving the scene of the accident and received a suspended two-month jail term and one-year driving ban. That night he appeared on television to explain what had happened. He explained: "My conduct and conversations during the next several hours to the extent that I can remember them make no sense to me at all. Although my doctors informed me that I suffered a cerebral concussion as well as shock, I do not seek to escape responsibility for my actions by placing the blame either on the physical, emotional trauma brought on by the accident or on anyone else. I regard as indefensible the fact that I did not report the accident to the police immediately."
At the inquest Judge James Boyle raised doubts about Kennedy's testimony. He pointed out that as Kennedy had a good knowledge of Chappaquiddick Island he could not understand how he managed to drive down Dyke Road by mistake. For example, on the day of the accident, Kennedy had twice had driven on Dyke Road to go to the beach for a swim. To get to Dyke Road involved a 90-degree turn off a metalled road onto the rough, bumpy dirt-track.
An investigation at the scene of the accident by Raymond R. McHenry, suggested that Kennedy approached the bridge at an estimated 34 miles (55 kilometres) per hour. At around 5 metres (17 feet) from the bridge, Kennedy braked violently. This locked the front wheels. According to McHenry: "The car skidded 5 metres (17 feet) along the road, 8 metres (25 feet) up the humpback bridge, jumped a 14 centimetre barrier, somersaulted through the air for about 10 metres (35 feet) into the water and landed upside-down."
Investigators found it difficult to understand why he was crossing Dyke Bridge when he said he was attempting to reach Edgartown which was in the opposite direction. They also could not understand why he was driving so fast on this unlit, uneven, road. They also could not work out how Kennedy escaped from the car. When it was recovered from the water all the doors were locked. Three of the windows were either open or smashed in. If Kennedy, a large-framed 6 foot 2 inches tall man could manage to get out of the car, why was it impossible for Mary JO Kopechne, a slender 5 foot 2 inches tall, not do the same?
Local experts could not understand why Kennedy (and later, Markham and Gargan) could not rescue Kopechne from the car. It also surprised investigators that Kennedy did not seek help from Pierre Malm, who only lived 135 metres from the bridge. At the inquest Kennedy was unable to answer this question.
There were also doubts about the way Kopechne died. Dr. Donald Mills of Edgartown, wrote on the death certificate: "death by drowning". However, Gene Frieh, the undertaker, told reporters that death "was due to suffocation rather than drowning". John Farrar, the diver who removed Kopechne from the car, claimed she was "too buoyant to be full of water". It is assumed that she died from drowning, although her parents filed a petition preventing an autopsy.
Other questions were asked about Kennedy's decision to swim back to Edgartown. The 150 metre channel had strong currents and only the strongest of swimmers would have been able to make the journey safely. Also no one saw Kennedy arrive back at the Shiretown Inn in wet clothes. Ross Richards, who had a conversation with Kennedy the following morning at the hotel described him as casual and at ease.
Kennedy did not inform the police of the accident while he was at the hotel. Instead at 9am he joined Gargan and Markham on the ferry back to Chappaquiddick. Steve Ewing, the ferry operator, reported Kennedy in a jovial mood. It was only when Kennedy reached the island that he phoned the authorities about the accident that had taken place the previous night.
Dr. Robert Watt, Kennedy's family doctor, explained his patient's strange behaviour by claiming he was in a state of shock and confusion and "possible concussion."
Jorge, you really need to be more informed before you try to debate this. Your only "information" is emotion.
" He certainly cared about this person far more than those attempting to torment him with the memory of it."
Yah he really cared, that's why he left her to die. You just can't handle the "TRUTH".
Read the accounts of what he did AFTER the car went into the water (if you can sort out all of the conflicting testimony of Ted and his guests) and then come back.
You aren't serious, are you? Ted was drunk. At the very least is was manslaughter or negligent homicide. Since little investigation was done, there is even the possibility it was outright murder.
Save it for a liberal. Kennedy murdered her and got off scott free.
Anyone who drives drunk and crawls away from a trapped companion is a snake. And we won't even talk about contributory negligence.
It was a CRIME. IIRC, Kennedy even lost his license for a year.
He certainly cared about this person
All I can say is that if I knew that someone -- even someone I didn't particulary like -- was trapped underwater in a car, I'd call for a rescue squad.
He swam home, took a shower, poured himself a large, stiff drink and called his lawyerS.
He panicked and let that poor girl drown.
He was DRUNK!! and ran his car off a bridge. A girl DIED!! Are you really that ridiculously soft hearted? She died. It was Teddy's fault. She's dead...he's a Senator. If I get drunk and run over you or yours, should I go free? Or, should I be punished because my negligent behavior brought about the death or injury of another person? Good grief, open your eyes and stop spouting liberal feel good garbage.
You can't torment someone who has no conscience, no morals and no character.
This truly evil human being equates American soldiers with Saddam's torturers, flaps his filthy lying mouth day after day about my country, is the enemy of all that is good, and I'm supposed to feel sorry for him?
I think I'll save my crocodile tears, thanks.
Have an accident like that today and expect to spend many years in prison. To say commenting on it is meansprited and hateful is IDIOTIC. If you weren't a long term poster I'd say you were on the wrong web site