Death of Henry Bliss, first U.S. automobile fatality, 1899
- When
- 1899
- Where
- West 74th Street and Central Park West; New York City
- Episodes
- 2
Henry Hale Bliss, a 69-year-old New York real estate dealer, became the first recorded motor vehicle fatality in the United States. On September 13, 1899, he was struck by an electric taxicab while alighting from a trolley at West 74th Street and Central Park West. He died the following morning from head and chest injuries.
Episodes
- Collision at West 74th Street
Bliss was struck by an electric taxicab while alighting from a trolley, sustaining fatal head and chest injuries.
- Death of Henry Bliss
Bliss died the morning after the collision, becoming the first recorded motor vehicle fatality in the Western Hemisphere.
Background and detail
Background. Henry Hale Bliss was a local real estate dealer in New York City. He is recognized as the first known person killed in a motor vehicle collision in the United States. The incident occurred at the intersection of West 74th Street and Central Park West, involving an electric-powered taxicab and a trolley car.
The Collision. On the evening of September 13, 1899, Bliss was alighting from a southbound 8th Avenue trolley car when he was struck by the driver of an electric-powered taxicab, identified as Automobile No. 43. The impact knocked him unconscious, and he hit the pavement, crushing his head and chest.
Death and Legacy. Bliss died the next morning from his injuries, becoming the first recorded motor vehicle fatality in the Western Hemisphere. A ceremony marking the centennial of his death was attended by his great-granddaughter, who placed roses at the site where he was struck.
People involved
- Henry Hale Bliss · Victim
- Taxicab Driver · Driver
Sources
- Death of Henry H. Bliss Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-14
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.