Ted Kennedy: In His Own Words

"I do not seek to escape responsibility for my actions by placing the blame either on the physical and emotional trauma brought on by the accident or on anyone else. I regard as indefensible the fact that I did not report the accident to the police immediately."
— A statement to the people of Massachusetts following the 1969 car accident on Chappaquiddick that killed passenger Mary Jo Kopechne

• Photos: The Lion of the Senate
• TIME's Complete Ted Kennedy Coverage