The Chappaquiddick incident was a car crash that happened at Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, on Friday, July 18, 1969. 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.
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.
A movie was made of the incident in 2017 with Jason Clarke as Kennedy and Kate Mara as Kopechne.