◆ SpookStack

ANOMALY D (p. 7) @ . This was a fantastic feat of memory! Re remembered the car “just beginning" to go off the bridge, but was uncertain about ap- a fraction of a second before-- 2 and look further into the plying the brakes -- “perhaps* Now let us revert to Perjury No. testimony of Inspector George Inspector arrived at thé bridge th Kennedy. By his own estimate, the s=° at morning at abont 10:30 and noticed some "skid marks" on the bridge “starting at the edge of umercus mentionings cf the skid marks, which, for some unclear reason, he seemed to imply were easier both to detect ahd measure on the wooden bridge than on the - all-gravel approach. -That there had been actual braking, however, the bridge on the dirt." There were n In a con- tradictory vein, in The Bridge at Chappaquiddick (p. 257). Jack Olsen tells us that the "skid marks” were so light that no rubber residue was left and that accident experts who examined the area later were uncertain whether the brakes had been fully activated. Also anomalously, in the August 1, 1969 cover story, Time (p. 12,° and of which the frequently quoted Mr._Olsen is a senior editor, remember) says there were no skid marks. , ’ Now let us approach the matter of 20-22 miles per hour as the speed of the Oldsmobile on its take-. off run. Assistant District Attorney Armand Fernandes examined Inspector Kennedy. The following excerpt has be abridged to relieve the reader of irrelevancies. of the Inspector's estimate en, slightly ob/ Q: ...drawing on your experience and based on the physical evidence, are you abic to form an opinion--and I want a yes or C no answer--. A: I would say yes. THE COURT: Wait a minute. - Q: --as to what speed a car would be traveling in order to He hasn't asked you as to leave the skid marks which you described for the Court? A: Yes. Q: Could you tell us what your opinion was? A: Approximately 20 to 22 miles per hour. Q: And how do you base that--? A: All right, a car operating at 20 miles per hour has a reaction time of any person operating approximately three-quarters of a second before a person removes his foot from the gas and ap- Plies the brake. Approximately at 20 miles an horr the vehicle a. does not appear to have been firmly and incontestably established, although Judge Boyle seemed to think so in his Report. would move approximately 22 feet in the three-quarters of a sec- - ond for the reaction time. been applied, should stop in 25 feet. of 25, 22 -- 47 feet. THE COURT: Well, I'm going to stop you there now...I - @on't know... Reither does anyone else know, Judge. Surprisingly enough, however, instead of His Honor asking how the Inspector had determined that the car had actually stopped with- - 27 - Then a vehicle, after the brakes have Now, there is a distance