Golf Cart Crashes in The Villages, FL - August 2012

Reprinted with permission from the Property Owners Association of The Villages monthly Bulletin:

Recent reports (ONLY THOSE THAT INVOLVED EJECTION, FALLING OUT OF THE GOLF CART, AND/OR INJURIES are provided) that we have received from Village residents, Public Safety, and area law enforcement. (Note: we cannot guarantee that the information we receive is completely accurate about all the details.)

June 20th – 1:50pm – Parr Drive at the Bank of America. Golf cart pulled out onto Parr Drive into the path of an oncoming car. Minor damage. Minor injuries. No ejection.

June 20th –3:40pm – Tunnel under CR 466 at Laurel Manor. Actually, a golf cart came down the path to turn into the tunnel headed north and immediately found an auto-mobile in the tunnel. It so took him aback, that he jammed the brakes, cranked the steer-ing wheel and overturned the cart. He did not hit the car. The cart driver was dumped out of his cart and had some minor abrasions and ankle pain, but signed a treatment re-fusal. Evidently the auto driver thought he was in the right place until he got half way through the tunnel.

June 20th – 9:57pm – Golf cart path at Buena Vista and Bailey Trail. Driver made a hard turn and flipped the golf cart on its side. The driver was dumped out of the cart but denied any injury.

June 27th – 10:15pm – Three teen-age males were driving a golf cart through the Sweet Bay parking lot when it flipped onto its side. The police report stated that the golf cart was on its four wheels and it had extensive damage (estimated at $1500) when he arrived. The young men stated that it tipped over but they placed it back onto its wheels prior to the arrival of law enforcement. The driver had a minor cut on his cheek, all three had scrapes, but declined medical attention. An independent witness confirmed to the officer that the cart tipped over as the driver made a left turn in the parking lot. (Tire marks on the pavement indicate that some action other than a simple left hand turn might have caused the crash.) The driver’s grandfather was contacted and the golf cart was towed home.

July 10th – 11:25am – A 93 year old male was operating a golf cart east bound on the golf cart path that parallels Colony Boulevard east of Morse Blvd. The driver lost control of the golf cart, hit the curb and then went into the wooden fence on the north side of the path. According to a witness the golf cart then overturned. EMS responded, advised that the driver appeared to have gotten overheated, and transported him to The Villages Regional Hospital. (NOTE: This is the second crash we have reported which appears to be related to dehydration effects on the driver. --According to the lead author of one study, older people are more susceptible to dehydration. That's because, after age 50 or so, our ability to recognize thirst decreases and our kidneys lose some of their precision in regulating the body's water supply, says Lawrence Armstrong, a researcher with the University of Connecticut Human Performance Laboratory. Some common medications add to the problem, including diuretics (taken for high blood pressure), antihistamines and certain psychiatric drugs. Finally, people who start drinking less because of bladder control problems are at even higher risk. Know the symptoms before you get behind the wheel.)

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