By Richard Shapiro, Eastern Virginia Injury Attorney

The pony swim began in 1924. Children’s author Marguerite Henry made the annual event famous when she published Misty of Chincoteague in 1947. For the past several years, an estimated 40,000 adults and children of all ages have crowded the western shore of Chincoteague Island to watch the wild ponies swim the few hundred feet from Assateague Island. The year-round population of Chincoteague is just over 4,000.

With a majority of Chincoteague residents employed in the tourism and food service industries, the pony swim is essential to the island’s economy and, no doubt, the economies of the nearby Accomack County communities of Atlantic, Horntown, Sinnickson, Wattsville and Wallops Island. An influx of tourists that increases Chincoteague’s population tenfold also strains the resources of the entire Eastern Shore, particularly Route 13 and Route 175.

Fortunately, traffic appears to become merely snarled at pony swim time. A detailed breakdown of fatal car and truck accidents on Chincoteague Island since 1979 shows that no drivers or passengers lost their lives on the island’s roads during the last week of July. Ironically, however, Paul Beebe, who’s real-life childhood adventures are chronicled in Misty, died in an automobile accident in 1957.

Our injury law firm’s main office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), only about 4 miles from the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel southern entrance. So we know firsthand how tourism and tourists impact communities. We also know how crowded, and sometimes dangerous, roads leading to and providing access to top attractions can become for city residents, visitors and pedestrians of all types.

The ponies are set to swim again July 28, 2010, and a full six weeks of events, celebrations and auctions are scheduled leading up to and following the event. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable time.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm handling Eastern Shore VA injury accident law and we have handled thousands of car and truck accident cases, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Check out our case results. We are familiar with people who drive Route 13, including those from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island. We provide free injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” for 2010, and they and their fellow attorney John M. Cooper were named 2010 Virginia “Super Lawyers” for Personal Injury Law. Fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive this distinction. Our firm also includes attorneys selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. We provide this blog as a pro bono public service.

EJL