Bridget Driscoll - Definition

On August 17, 1896, in London, Bridget Driscoll, age 44, became the world's first person to be killed in a car accident.

As she and her teenage daughter crossed the grounds of the Crystal Palace, an automobile belonging to the Anglo-French Motor Car Company and being used to give demonstration rides struck her at "tremendous speed" - according to witnesses some 4 MPH (6,4 km/h). The driver had apparently modified the engine to allow the car to go faster.

The jury returned a verdict of "accidental death" after an inquest lasting some six hours. The coroner said: "This must never happen again." No prosecution was made.

See also

Henry Bliss