Laura Bush Opens Up About Fatal Crash

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

Laura Bush has finally opened up publicly about the mysterious car accident she had when she was 17, a crash that claimed the life of a high school friend on a dark country road in Midland, Tex.

In her new book, “Spoken from the Heart,” Ms. Bush describes in vivid detail the circumstances surrounding the crash, which has haunted her for most of her adult life and which became the subject of questions and speculation when it was revealed during her husband’s first presidential run. A copy of the book, scheduled for release in early May, was obtained by The New York Times at a bookstore.

On several occasions in the book, Ms. Bush admonishes her husband’s political adversaries for “calling him names,” and she pointedly rebuts criticism of some of his key decisions. She suggested that his highly criticized fly-over of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina was in the best interests of the victims and aid workers on the ground.

--snip--

On a November night in 1963, Ms. Bush and a girlfriend were hurrying to a drive-in theater when Ms. Bush, at the wheel of her father’s Chevy Impala, ran a stop sign on a small road and smashed into a car being driven by Mike Douglas, a star athlete and popular student at her school.

“In those awful seconds, the car door must have been flung open by the impact and my body rose in the air until gravity took over and I was pulled, hard and fast, back to earth,” she says. “The whole time,” she adds later, “I was praying that the person in the other car was alive. In my mind, I was calling ‘Please, God. Please, God. Please, God,’ over and over and over again.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/books/28laura.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[rcrush]

1. So she did kill that guy?

I heard rumors but I guess its true.

[peacebird]

3. he died, rumours were she had dated him too... Don't know if that is true

[Skittles]

4. yes, he was killed in the accident

if it had been Hillary or Michelle you'd know every sickening detail. That being said, I would not wish this nightmare on anyone.

[karynnj]

25. In 2000, imagine it was a story on Tipper Gore

She would have torn apart by the media. Four years later, Teresa, who had lived a life that showed her to be compassionate and moral, was completely demonized, even though other than falling in love with and marrying John Kerry, they really had little to work with.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. some say the victim was her boyfriend

NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2004
Laura Bush: 'The Perfect Wife'
Author Ann Gerhart Takes A Look At The First Lady In New Book

"What made the crash even more devastating was that the boy Laura killed was no stranger but a good friend of hers, a boy from her crowd. Some said Mike Douglas was her boyfriend. Or had been, or maybe she wanted him to be. ..."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/07/earlyshow/leisure/books/main591951.shtml

[No Elephants]

18. Some even say he was her boyfriend who had just dumped her.

[dpbrown]

5. November, 1963? Is there anyone the Bushes DIDN'T kill in November, 1963?

The irony is rusty.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. Irony is right.

[troubledamerican]

9. + 1

[MrMickeysMom]

36. God, that's priceless...

No, I think this pretty much weighs in right with the rest of them...

[Hekate]

41. At the age of 17 I seriously doubt she even knew the Bush family

[Berry Cool]

7. I don't think there's much evidence for them being romantically linked.

A horrible accident like that could happen to any distracted teenager. Make sure you impress that upon your kids.

I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if Laura married George as penance.

[No Elephants]

15. Or any drunk driver.

[proteus_lives]

8. Isn't any worse than what Teddy did in 1969.

I don't like the woman but this shit happens with teenagers all the time.

[Toots]

24. How much political hay was made from Laura's accident compared to Kennedy's?

There is a difference you know...

[Lost4words]

30. you obviously haven't heard the Nixon tape re Teddy's bad night.

it think it might have been Halderman, I am not sure but it referred to what they did to Teddy and how he would be pretty upset if he ever knew, its not much but added to Teddys testimony over what he didnt remember and knowing the level of dirty tricks that have come to light over the years gives me the ability to give TK the benefit of doubt.


Kennedy men usually were able to get the girls home and were not light weight drinkers.

[bluesmail]

10. Nov 1963? Oh my..the coincidence to JFK is suspect at the very least, (eom)

[Hekate]

40. wrong place-- see above

[marybourg]

11. Was she charged with anything? nt.

[No Elephants]

16. I don't think she was even tested for alcohol.

[NoGOPZone]

33. Never even issued any tickets

although the accident report notes TWO violations.

A copy of the report is available on wiki, although it is hard to make out parts.

[CoffeeCat]

12. This story makes me ache for Laura Bush...

...because I can't even imagine how devastating it would be to take a life
like that, at such a young age.

Agree or disagree with her politics--or her choice of husbands--this is awful
and I feel for her.

[saracat]

14. Not me. See my response 13. She is a very immature spoiled person.

[No Elephants]

19. Yeah. I'm sure Laura's heart has ached for Ted Kennedy since Chappaquiddick too.

Such a freaking double standard. You cannot post Kennedy's name on a message board without some RWer mentioining chappaquiddick, but I didn't even know about Laura's little problem until 2007. And, if a Democrat brings it up, it's an accident, while Ted was a murderer because he could not wrestle with an auto at 3:30 am (or whenever), while both he and the auto were completely submerged.

Meanwhile, Ted went through 2 court hearings on the matter and was exonerated, while Laura has had the luxury of remaining silent about this for almost 50 years. Hell, the police report wasn't even made public until Georgie ran for President.

Yeah, my heart bleeds for Laura.

[cap]

20. I wonder how she managed to get off with a police report and

didn't have a court hearing?

[Lost4words]

31. much less a sobriety check,,,,,,, nt

[closeupready]

27. I always liked her.

n/t

[MrMickeysMom]

37. I ordinarily might feel for those who demonstrate feelings...

But, there never has seemed to be much of Pickles to feel for...

No... not much.

[saracat]

13. Gee, I was sympathetic till I read her STILL making excuses, even blaming the car

the victims drove, the dark road, the dangerous intersection and even a "too small" stop sign.It is as if, after all thois time , she still refuses to take total responsibility. I also didn't like the fact that the reason she lost faith was it was the "first time" God didn't give her what she prayed for.
I actually liked Laura a bit before I read this. She was and is nothing but a spoiled brat.

[RaRa]

26. Exactly my take too

If she really felt remorseful, she would be a lot less defensive. I guess when you live such a sheltered life then the messy points of reality have a hard time seeping in.

[DuckBurp]

44. The size of the stop sign doesn't hold water, either

Growing up in Midland, Texas, she should have known the location of every stop sign in the area.

[No Elephants]

17. "Opens up?" How the hell does the nyt know if Laura was being open about this or not?

[Thor_MN]

21. Those damn stop signs, always sneaking from one intersction to the next...

[crim son]

22. She also suspects that she, the shrub and the rest of their

delegation were poisoned at a G8 summit in Germany. Uh, yeah.

[Javaman]

23. She's just...

the dutiful wife carrying the water for moron*, all the while, papering over the past.

Did anyone honestly believe there would be any truth in this book? All bushes, even those by marriage are incapable of telling the truth.

it's only about public perception and "legacy" to them. They have closets, storage sheds and cargo containers filled with skeletons.

[crim son]

29. There will be snippets of truth throughout the entire book

to give it that *nonfiction* touch.

[Javaman]

32. Yes, there will be. Such insightful gems as...

"I love lemonade" and "dogs are fun".

[lonestarnot]

28. Still at the lies with liars who tell them I see.

[EFerrari]

34. She's a Bush. n/t

[harun]

35. Are there any Bush's who haven't killed people?

[cyr330]

38. It's about GODDAMN time!!!

If it had been Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama who had killed someone in a car, although many years ago, would have been impaled and roasted over open flames by both the press and right wing crazies. Laura Fucking Bush has never had to take responsibility for murdering (?) an ex (oh yes, he WAS her ex!) with her car. He had broken up with her not long before which DOES cause one to question whether she did it on purpose? Maybe there should be an independent prosecutor?

[superconnected]

39. I feel bad for her, it was an accident. It could happen to anyone, especially the young.

I think we've all ran a stop sign at least once in our lives.

[MellowOne]

42. George and Laura have books released at same time

Must have gotten a fabulous deal on a ghostwriter.

[underpants]

43. "which became the subject of questions and speculation " -- it did?

WOw thanks NY Times for making people think you reported on it at all

[olddad56]

45. Her punishment was to be married to Dubya. God works in funny ways.