he and neilia already had a picture-perfect, young family.nd two toddler boys, beau and hunter. the quintessential young family was moving to the nation's capital. >> for six weeks, we were on top of the world. i mean, he was the dragon slayer. we were the bright, young hope of the democratic party. and it was completely joyful. >> reporter: on december 18th, neilia was supposed to go with her husband to washington. but decided to stay behind to buy a tree and christmas gifts. >> i went with joe to washington to interview staff. senator byrd told my brother, offered joe to use his office, which we did. >> reporter: and then, came the phone call. >> it was jimmy biden. and i picked up the phone and jimmy biden said, come home, now, there's a terrible accident with neilia and the boys and the babies. all three. >> and you flew back and didn't -- >> we didn't say a word. i just -- we just -- it was a bumpy ride. i remember that. it was a tiny plane. and i remember he was on my right, and i just had my hand on his leg. and we just -- i mean, we -

and neilia was in the car, the restation wagon, wh the >> neilia was literallynd naomi. bringing homestmas tree, with the kidin the car, the three kids in the car. (siren blang) >> narrator: campaign flyers from the car helped identify the bodies. >> she was hit broadside by a tractor traile and she and naomi, who sat behind her in the car seat, they died instantly. and beau and hunter were seriouy jured. >> and he... he knew, he knew. he knew from the look on her face. >> my brother looked at me and said, "she's dead, isn't she?" and i said, "i don't kno joey." i did know.e. jimmy told >> narrator: his sons were in the hospital hours away. >> the pain cut through like a shard of broken glass. i ben to understand how despair led people to just cash it in; how suicide wasn'just an option, but a rational opti. >> in six short weeks, he went from being on top of the world to being a young widower, a father of two children, and-- a single dad-- and a man with, you know, a broken heart. >> narrator: he got to the boys; they were all that was left. broken hips, legs, arm beau was alcut up a

. >> just as planned biden made it to syracuse law school and married neilia hunter.eturned home with his wife to work at a law firm. national guardsmen were still patrolling the streets of wilmington in the wake of rioting that followed martin luther king's murder. >> wasn't good at all. we looked like a city under seeing siege by the military. >> he saw a country torn apart by race. a city literally on fire. the national guard occupied wilmington delaware longer than any city in america after the riots and in that moment a young joe biden said i can help. >> biden was a believer in his own ability to convince anyone of anything but no amount of self-confidence or ambition was big enough to deliver a senate seat at age 27. so, he ran for the county counsel. as usual, he enlisted his sister. so how did you get involved in the politics of it. >> he always picked me first. it was just a natural thing to do. he was going to go in the politics. i was going with him. he ask everybody we knew to help us and we asked them to ask ten people to help us. this is where we delive

he and neilia had a picture perfect family.ly was moving to the nation's capitol. >> for six weeks we were on top of the world. >> we were in the bright young hope of the democratic party and it was completely joyful. >> on december 18th, neilia decided to stay behind to buy a tree and christmas gifts. >> i went with joe, they offered to use joe's office which we did. >> then came the phone call. >> i sacome home, there is a terrible accident with neilia and the boys. >> and you flew back? >> we just -- it was a bumpy ride. i remember he was on my right and i just had my hand on his leg and we just -- you know -- ♪ take the good, with the bad ♪ live the life you want to have♪ ♪ send it off, with a bang ♪ ♪ whistling (vwith your next new vehicle? what kind of value are you looking for ♪ with subaru, you get kelley blue book's 2020 best resale value brand, 2020 lowest 5-year cost to own brand, and most trusted brand for 6 consecutive years. no wonder kelley blue book also picked subaru as their 2020 best overall brand. a trusted