Here’s what historical evidence and fact-checking reveal about the claim that in 1895, Ohio had only two cars—and that they crashed into each other:
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## Myth or Reality?
### 1. **No credible documentation supports the story**
* The widely circulated anecdote—that the only two cars in Ohio collided in 1895—has **no historical backing**. Snopes investigated this and found it likely originated from a **1967 Mobil gasoline advertisement**, not from genuine historical records ([Snopes][1]).
* A historian and native of Ohio, John Mohr, confirmed there’s no evidence for the crash story and noted that automobile registrations in the state were not formally recorded until **1908** ([Snopes][1]).
### 2. **The earliest documented automobile accident in Ohio (and possibly the U.S.) predates 1895**
* In **1891**, **James William Lambert** and his passenger in Ohio City, Ohio, experienced what may have been **the first gasoline-powered automobile accident in the U.S.** Their **Buckeye (or Lambert) Gasoline Buggy** struck a tree root and careened into a hitching post—fortunately resulting in only minor injuries ([Snopes][1], [Wikipedia][2]).
### 3. **Online mentions of the two-car crash are anecdotal or misleading**
* Despite recurring posts across forums and social media claiming the two cars in Ohio crashed, none are supported by archival sources or credible documentation ([Reddit][3], [Instagram][4], [Facebook][5]).
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## Summary: What’s Really Known
| Claim | Fact Check |
| ———————————————— | —————————————————————- |
| Only 2 cars in Ohio in 1895 | No reliable historical record supports this. |
| These two cars crashed into each other | The story is likely fictional, originating from a 1967 ad. |
| First U.S. car accident occurred in 1891 in Ohio | True—Lambert’s vehicle crashed into a post after hitting a root. |
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## Final Answer
The story that **in 1895 Ohio had only two cars, which then crashed into each other**, is **not supported by historical evidence**. It appears to be an urban legend, possibly born from a mid-20th-century advertisement ([Snopes][1], [FACTLY][6], [Africa Check][7]).
The **earliest documented automobile accident** in Ohio—and likely in the U.S.—actually occurred in **1891** and was caused by a vehicle striking a tree root ([Snopes][1], [Wikipedia][2]).
Let me know if you’d like to explore early automotive history further!
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If you’re interested in visual references or photos of that 1891 incident or the Buckeye Buggy, I can help locate them.
[1]: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/only-two-cars-ohio-crashed-1895/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Does Photo Show an 1895 Car Crash Involving the Only 2 Cars in …”
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_traffic_collisions_%28before_2000%29?utm_source=chatgpt.com “List of traffic collisions (before 2000)”
[3]: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/dqt318/til_that_in_1895_there_were_only_two_cars_in_the/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “TIL that in 1895 there were only two cars in the entire state of Ohio …”
[4]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DL9bwPzy-AA/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “In 1895, Ohio had only two cars, both of which managed to crash …”
[5]: https://www.facebook.com/MusicFactoryyLive/posts/in-1895-ohio-had-just-two-carsand-they-crashed-into-each-otherback-in-1895-ohio-/1084263637230304/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “In 1895, Ohio Had Just Two Cars—and They Crashed Into Each …”
[6]: https://factly.in/this-photo-doesnt-show-an-1895-car-accident-involving-the-only-two-cars-in-the-us-state-of-ohio/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “This photo doesn’t show a 1895 car accident involving the only two …”
[7]: https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/no-photo-does-not-show-accident-between-only-2-cars-us-state-ohio?utm_source=chatgpt.com “No, photo does not show accident between the ‘only two cars’ in the …”
