Overheard from a Ted Kennedy staffer. I always thought there was a bit more to the Chappiquiddick story than is commonly understood. Staffers in Ted Kennedy’s office tell the story (after a few beers) that Kennedy wasn’t driving the car. Rather, he was drunk and passed out in the back seat of the car. Mary Jo Kopechne drove it off the bridge. A drunk Kennedy managed to get out and stumble away. He didn’t do anything to save her because in his drunken stupor he was oblivious to what had happened. Sad and despicable, perhaps, but not criminal in so far as he wasn’t driving.