Edward Kennedy was engulfed in scandal when he accidentally drove Mary Jo Kopechne off a bridge on what island?

The tragic incident involving Senator Edward Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne, which became a significant scandal, occurred on Chappaquiddick Island. This small island is located off the eastern end of Martha's Vineyard, making it part of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The island is often colloquially known as "Chappy" and, while sometimes connected to Martha's Vineyard by a narrow strip of sand, it is typically accessed by a small ferry from Edgartown.

The event took place in July 1969, when Kennedy and Kopechne, a former staffer for his late brother Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign, left a party on Chappaquiddick Island. Kennedy's car plunged off Dike Bridge into Poucha Pond. While Kennedy managed to escape the submerged vehicle, Kopechne was trapped inside and drowned.

The aftermath of the accident quickly escalated into a national scandal, largely due to Kennedy's actions following the crash. He did not report the incident to authorities for nearly ten hours, a delay that fueled intense public speculation and severely impacted his political career, effectively ending his aspirations for the presidency. The Chappaquiddick incident remains a notable and somber chapter in American political history.