On November 16, 1933, her cousin, 26-year-old socialite William K. Vanderbilt III, son of William K. II and Virginia Fair Vanderbilt, was killed in a car accident; her brother, Erskine, was also in the car and suffered minor injuries. In August 1935, he was in another accident, when the car he was driving collided with a truck, injuring three. He was tried, fined $50, and incurred a 30-day suspended sentence. On account of that accident, Erskine later suffered a paralysis in 1938.