◆ SpookStack

A Well, Mtr. teh pe ee wee is 1 meaty tee pam wees Pan Oe e - w 7 ena A mai be ee ae oe Sit Mandl ovate mnediietaiinterranne ne oe Dinis, F would szy tha eo" tived on Cape Cod and having visited these i I am aware some Toads az paved. THE COURT: I zm sorry, that is not quite responsive. The Question is whether ar not you realized the road from the ferry to the cottass was paved. MR. DINIS: That is correct. THE WITNESS: Yes. THE COURT: That is, did you become aware of it during your two frips? THE WITRESS:1 Well, Y woold just say it was not of partic- ular notic€é to me whether iv’ was paved or unpaved, THE Co RT: Were you: ‘driving the car in either one of these tim - THE WITKESS: 1 was not. Q (By Mr. Dinis) Weli, while you were driving down Dyke Road and after you noticed is was 2 dirt road and you were driving at ‘twenty miles an hour, what happened, Mr, Kennedy? A Well I became — ° THE COURT: I'm going to ask one question. At any time ‘after you got on the unpaved road. the so-called Dyke Road, did you have a realization that you were on the wrong road? “THE WITNESS: No. ~~ THE COURT: Do you remember the question? THE WITNESS: After I realized it was an unpaved road, what did | become aware of? Q (By Mr. Dinis) Well, after you realized it was an unpaved road and that vou were driving at twenty miles an hour, what happened tien? A l went off Dike Bridge or | went off a bridge. Q You went off a bridge into the water? A That is correct. Q Did you apply the brakes of that automobile prior to going off into the water? A Perhaps a fraction of a second before. Q What prompted you to do that? A Well, U was abdout tu gooff a bridge and 1 applied the brakes. Q Were there any lights in that area? A- Absolutely no Lights in that area | noticed other than the Lights on my vehicle. 1) Biz you realize at that aroment that you were not heading for the ferrv? ; At the moment I went off the bridgc, 1 certainly did. } Do you recall whether or not the = Strike that question — well, what happened after that. Senator? A Well, Tremembzred. the whicle itself just beginning to g0 off __off the £ Dike Bridgefand the next thing I recall is the “movement of Miry Jo next to me, the struggling, perhaps hitting or kicking me and {, at this time, opened my eves a and realized } was upside-down, that water was ctasuing in On me, that it was pitch olacke I knew thai and i was able to get half a gulp, T would say, of air before | became completely immersed in the water. [ realized that Mary Jo and | had to get out of the car. 1 can remember reaching down to try and get the door- knob of the car and lifting the door handle and pressing against the door and it not moving. ] can remember reach- ing what I thought was down, which was really up, to where 1 thought the window was end feeling along the side to see if the window was open and the windaw was closed, and [I can remember the last sensation of being completely out of aiz snd inhaling what must have been @ half.a lung full of water and assuming that | was going to drown and the full realization that no one was gains to be. looking for us that night until the next morning that I wasn’t going to get out of that car alive and then somchow Tecan rememe:: coming up to the last energy ef just push- ing. pressing. and coming up to th surface. Q Senator, how did you realize that you were upside down in the car? A Because = that was a feeling that I had as soon as ] become aware that -— the water rushine in Sad the block- ness. } knew that J was, f felt { was agside down (Tt ivally wasn’: sure cf anythins, but J thought 4 WS Dae down. Q Were you aware that the windows on the passer: aor’s Side were blown out of the car, were sinashed? A IT have read that subsequently’. ] wasn’t aware of #1 a: the time. ~6-— © 9) ao et tt Sank ~ ames. REUNGDL Tostisne | DPOrorn 6b KS wa Won bs oe nel Ket Fn wate: wes see ome 3 in ox Q Were youl re here w3xs acy we the passenger's sv. A There was complete ‘blackness. Water seemed to rush in from every point, from the windshield, from vaderneath me, above! me..f almost seenied hike you couldn't hoid the water beck kden with your hands. What ! wee conscions of was the rushing of the water. the blackness, the fact that it was impossible to ewn hold it back. And you say at that time you had a thought to the effect that you may not de found until moming? 1 was sure that | was going to drown. Did you mzke any observations of the condition of Miss Kopechne at that time? ; . At what time? ; L At that particular moment when you were thrashing around in the car? Well, at the moment ! eves threshing arcend I wee trying to find a way Unai we both couid get “out of the car, and at some time after { tried the door and the window | became convinced I was never going to get out. Was the window closed at that time? The window was open. On the driver s side? That's correct. And did you go through the window to get out of the car? } have no idea in the world how | got out of that car. Do you have any recollection as to how the automobile ieft the bridge and went over into the water? ° How it left the bridgc? Yes. What particular path did it take? No. Did it turn over? -j3- } have no idea. a THE COURT. 1 would like to inquire, Mr. Dinis, some- thing about the opcration of the cer, if you ere finished. MR. “DINIS. Ge rieht ahead. your Horor. THE COURT. You are driving along the dike sandy road and you are aporozching the Dike Bridec. Now, can vou describe to me what you saw, what you did, what hap- pened from the point when tirst you saw the bridge? JHE WITNESS L wovie >stimate that time te be fractions of a second froin the tine ahat f first saw the bridge and was on the bridre. THE COURT. Did you have on your high beams, do you remember? THE WITNESS. I can't remember. THE COURT. Is it your custom to use high beams whea you are driving? THE WITNESS. | rarely drive. I really couldn't tell you. { may have. - THF-COURT. ht is recommended. THE WITNESS. 11 is recommended but sometimes if there isa mist you see beiter with low beams. THE COURT. Did you see the bridge before you actually reached it? THE WITNESS. The split second before I was on it. VUE COURT. Did vou see that 1 was at an angle to the road? - THE WITNESS. The bridge was at an angle to the road’ THE COURT. Yes. - ) THE WITNESS. Just before going on it I saw that.~ G THE COURT. Did you make any athempt to tum your wheels to follow that angle? TUE WITNESS. f believe [ did, your Horor. | would as sume that | cid try to go on the bridge @1l appeared to m2 at that Lime that the road went straicht. “a THE COURT. Were you looking ahead at the time you were driving the car, at that ime? THE WITNESS. Yes, | was. TILE COURT. Your atlention was not diverted by any- thine elss? THk WITNESS, No, it wasn't. THE COURT, ft dan’t want to foreclose vou, tir. Dinis. | want {9 90 ints ihe qauestica of alecholic bewraces. Perhaps you had tist in mind later? MK. DINIS. Yes. vour Honor, Tile COURT. Aliniht. Q Going back to the cottaze earticr in the day. you staicd vou volunteered the information that vou had a rum and Coce-Cola? 7 124 aS DIDI. gp > o> o> o -