Around midnight between July 18 and 19, 1969, a tragic event unfolded on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy’s car veered off a bridge, overturning in a tidal pond and leading to the tragic drowning of 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, trapped inside.

Leaving a Chappaquiddick party at 11:15 p.m., Kennedy claimed he intended to drive Kopechne to a ferry, but mistakenly turned onto a dirt road ending at a narrow bridge. His car plunged into Poucha Pond, from which Kennedy escaped but was unable to rescue Kopechne. Her death likely occurred between 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. Kennedy did not report the accident until after 10 a.m. the following day, while Kopechne’s body was recovered around 9 a.m.

On July 25, 1969, Kennedy admitted in court to fleeing the accident scene, receiving a suspended two-month jail term. In a broadcast that evening, he confessed his post-accident behavior was inexplicable and indefensible. A 1970 inquest suggested Kennedy didn’t plan to take the ferry and had driven recklessly. Although charges were not recommended, his license was later suspended for 16 months.

The Chappaquiddick incident resonated nationally, affecting Kennedy’s political ambitions. It was considered a factor in his decision not to seek the presidency in 1972 and 1976, and it cast a long shadow over his unsuccessful 1980 presidential bid against Jimmy Carter.