6. It Was the Site of a 1953 Gunfight and Car Chase
In the afternoon of September 8, 1953, two men who had attempted to rob a house in South Orange, New Jersey were chased away by its residents. Their car’s license plate was relayed to the police. Peter Simon and John Metcalf then escaped into the Lincoln Tunnel and were spotted by transit authorities as they entered.
What ensued was a car chase among traffic through the tunnel, with police commandeering a delivery truck and firing shots at the getaway car as it swerved around other vehicles. In all 28 shots were fired, and the driver, Peter Simon, was shot in the head around three-quarters of the way to the other side. The gunfight was reported by The New York Times the next morning.