Today in History: NYC Marks its First Car Accident

Every day, all over the world, drivers are crashing into each other. These crashes are usually due to unsafe driving, lack of attention on a driver’s part, or the occasional outside factor, like wildlife darting across the road. But when did this start? Who can claim the first automobile accident, from way back when cars were a new invention?

New York City's first automobile accident occurred on May 30, 1896, when the cars looked more like "horseless wagons" than the vehicles of today.

Henry Wells of Springfield, Massachusetts, who was visiting NYC, lost control of his vehicle on that day and struck cyclist Ebeling Thomas on the "Western Boulevard" (better known to us as Broadway).

The bicyclist broke his leg, and the driver was arrested.

Photo Credit: Flickr