Before Ohio became a vital part of the U.S. auto industry, before cars were zipping down High Street, and before anyone had the sense to put brakes on these things, one man made history in the most unfortunate way possible. James William Lambert wasn’t just an automobile pioneer. He was also the first person to crash one.
It was 1891, and Lambert had built himself a gas-powered buggy, known as the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy, because, well, Ohio pride. It was one of the first gasoline automobiles in the U.S., and Lambert, ever the innovator, decided to take it for a spin through Ohio City. That’s when things took a turn, quite literally.
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Lambert and his passenger, James Swoveland, were cruising along when the car’s wheel hit a tree root.
Thankfully, both Lambert and Swoveland walked away with nothing more than a bruised ego. The car, however, didn’t fare as well. Though it survived the crash, it later met a fiery end in Lambert’s barn, burning up on October 1, 1891. Tough year for the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy.
This wasn’t the end of Lambert’s automotive journey.
He went on to establish the Buckeye Manufacturing Company and refined his designs into four-wheel automobiles with a gearless transmission, eventually mass-producing cars, trucks, and even fire engines. But despite his contributions to the industry, Lambert will always be remembered for his bumpy introduction to car culture.
A century later, Ohio City honored his historic mishap with a plaque marking the spot of the world’s first automobile accident. And while modern Ohio drivers may still struggle with potholes, at least they don’t have to worry about rogue tree roots taking them down. Well, most of the time.
