Golf Carts and the Sheriff's Department
 

Beware Villagers. I had an incident in my golf cart 2 weeks ago and the cart flipped over on me. Thanks to lots of kind Villagers on Hillsborough Trail the cart was lifted off of me and 911 was called. After that it went down hill.
I grazed the curb with my golf cart and that caused it to flip over. In conversations with the Insurance Company and the repair service I was told golf carts flip over very easily as the tires will "bounce" off the curb and under the right circumstances they flip over. Well I did have lots of injuries and I am still at home healing. My warning to you aside from the tire issue is that I also received a $166 citation from the Sumter County Sheriff's office and the offense will result in points on my Drivers License. Okay so that is for me to deal with but be advised that 2 different representatives from the Sheriff's Department told me that golf carts to not belong on "their roads" and should not be allowed. Great so the answer is to write citations for "Careless Driving". So disappointing. Never once did the responding officer offer any concern about my injuries and after being asked by the ambulance to remove himself from the ambulance so they could get me to the hospital, he immediately drove to the hospital and was waiting for me when I was rolled in so he could hand me the citation. There is lots more to this story and yes I accept the responsibility of grazing the curb but I don't thinks I was "Careless Driving". Was just on my way to Bonifay for golf. Be careful out there as I do not want anyone to go through what I did.

I am not sure how else to define a single vehicle or (cart) accident that hits the curb and flips over other than careless driving. I don't mean to come across blunt and I am thankful that you are okay, but you did have an accident. The curb didn't stick out and hit you- you accidently hit it with the tire as you describe that causes it to easily flip. A citation is warranted, I am sorry that the officer didn't appear sympathetic or concerned. Sometimes they do get in a hurry and focus on the task and attempt to move to another call in the county.

Well said.

👍👍👍👍👍

:gc::agree:

Don't have a comment on the blame or the issue of carelessness. However, I hope you heal quickly and completely and get back on the golf course. Sounds like a real nightmare.

RN...........first to respond and goes right to the root.

Nice post.

If there is more to the story, please post.

:beer3:

You can get careless driving ticket for weaving between the lines, rolling thru stop sign, not us blinker light, or abruptly stopping or taking off, speeding, and nay other traffic violations. . It's add on ticket. Now when you run off the road and crash ITs A GIVEN as you found out. Very few of us can go 2 miles without commenting some violations.

Witnesses?
 

:agree: I don't have much to add.

In the ancient past when I investigated traffic crashes, I didn't write a citation on a one-car crash if I did not witness the careless driving, or have an eyewitness that I could summons to court. Technically the careless driving was a misdemeanor not committed in the presence of the officer. Statements of the driver to the investigating officer at the scene were not admissible in court. I wonder if things have changed?

Sorry, I don't seem to agree with the majority here. There are many reasons someone may hit the curb. A car swerved into the golf cart lane, a dog ran in front of the cart, a bee stung the driver, a XXX was in the lane. So for this Sumter sheriff to write a citation for an accident he did not witness, if it were me it would be challenged.

These cops would not exist if it were not for us. They would still be only 3 of them driving 10 year old cars. They have 95% of what they have because of our tax base. I think they should be after real crimes that happen here, not handing out citations to golf carts and minor infractions. We vote them in and they can very easily be voted out, budgets cut, etc.

Agreed.

Not to mention those areas (Del Mar Dr. for just one) where the cart lane is so narrow, that to stay within the white line...requires that the right tire has to be on/near the edge of the pavement/beginning of the concrete curb.

So the choice becomes to either cross the solid white line with the left tire, or have the cart shimmy/wiggle...with the right tire on the pavement/curb line.

I can easily see where someone trying to stay within the excessively narrow lane, could hit the curb...and potentially flip the cart.

Every person who agreed with the officer would change their tune if it was them that flipped. No need for the ticket. It was an accident not an on purpose. Give the OP a break. Aren’t the injuries enough? Maybe a new officer, who knows. Time to lawyer up. If it was me I would face my accuser in court not in a hospital, respectfully.

A defense could be , would you give someone a fine who pricks their finger while trying to thread a needle, in some ares of TV there is almost no margin for error--the paths are way to narrow-

I was informed by a local doctor in Sarasota that if the police are called no matter how minor the incident they write a ticket regardless....not just TV....was it necessary in his case? I think not.....but seems the norm for Florida...

Most vehicle wrecks are "accidents" and not an "on purpose", whatever that is.

So if you "accidentally" run a stop sign, you shouldn't get a ticket?

Everyone here is to blame..Were all guilty of In a hurry to go nowhere

No mention of what road you were on that the two sheriff department representatives were referring to stating golf cars should not be allowed. Heal quickly, it could have been much worse, imagine if your head would have bounced off that curb, might be time to have a helmet law down here as this seems to be an almost daily event.

At any roundabout LEO could right 500 plus careless driving tickets a day. Don't take accidents to get careless driving ticket. Reguardless of the excuse why, it's still minimum careless driving if you hit something and LEO are called. Does the officer have option? I don't know but, it's recorded and I'm sure there may be policy or directive " write ticket"?????

I have a neighbor who about 3 years ago bought a new Yamaha scooter for $3500. In Florida you have to have an endorsement on your license to drive and operate a scooter or motorcycle. He only owned the scooter a couple of days and hadn't gone through the class and he decided to take it out for a spin at 1am.

He was found unconscious at 6am laying on the side of the road and someone called the police. He said all he remembered was some car whizzing by and blew him off the road, then everything went black until he woke up in the hospital in Ocala the next day. He had a broken nose, collar bone and a bunch of other injuries and was hospitalized for about a week. The one good thing was he was still a cigarette smoker and all of us neighbors were always on him to quit, since I had smoked 35 years and couldn't stand it anymore. He did quit smoking cigarettes.

For about a week a Florida State Trooper car, which you don't see in TV that much, would sit in his car outside his villa everday waiting for him to get home so they could give him a ticket. Finally he had a ticket and had to go to court. He sold his scooter without really getting any enjoyment out of it and paid a big fine.

Of course he was in the wrong for operating a scooter without proper licensing, but had he had the endorsement, I guess he would of needed witnesses that he was forced off the road.

Has anyone ever seen a golf cart flip over in person?

I did, they ended up in a sand trap, destroyed two sets of clubs and one ended up in the hospital with broken bones. There was no concrete involved but there was alcohol.

The scooter or motorcycle was over 49CCs. Anything under 49CCs you don't need motorcycle endorsement which by the endorsement over 49CCs are considered motorcycle's which will exceed 35mph. 49CCs or less top speed should be 35mph max which requires driver's license and insurance.

IMO I don't think most agree? But, from pass experiences I for one know careless driving can be add on to any traffic violation? Example was I was coasting down mountain in AZ. Just happen to be crossing Indian reservation (US60 heading down in little Grand Canyon). I didn't want to burn my brakes out so I would coast, brake and coast on straight road in middle if nowhere with no traffic. LEO Popped around corner about 1/2 mile and caught me above the speed limit. I got speeding ticket, careless driving ticket, and abuse of natural resources. I asked what's the abuse charge? His said speeding. I said I was coasting and not with my foot on the gas pedal? He said its automatic with speeding ticket along with the careless driving? Luckily I could plea guilty and mail the ticket and money in.

I am amazed at how quick people are to pass judgement about fault. A witness saw this driver’s tire hit the drain basin indentation and her cart flipped over. This could happen anywhere in the Villages...a car could force you over, you could hit any small object on the road and you could flip. I think the fact that the officer did not talk to any witnesses at the scene, had to be asked to remove himself from the ambulance and greeted the injured driver at the E.D. With a careless driving ticket is a concern. If it is a policy that any accident in a golf cart requires a ticket, all golf cart drivers should be aware. I understand this ticket comes with a fine and points on your license.

The kindness of people was evident in those that helped lift the cart off the injured person. The ambulance personnel also showed great concern and kindness. Whether this officer was busy or having a bad day as previously suggested is not a excuse for lack of compassion or kindness displayed by this officer.

Same. I agree with Carl 100%. Judgement call by the Deputy Sheriff. We are lucky we are in the villages and they do a great job. In some police departments they have the unwritten ticket quota. Maybe you just got caught up in that.

Heal fast. Hope you are not in much pain. I heard of someone breaking an ankle on a cart roll-over.

A valuable lesson for all, don’t come to TOTV looking for a sympathetic ear. This is where you go to be thrown under the golf cart.

We are all human thus all flawed. When, not if, you have a lapse in judgment I can assure you I will not throw you under the golf cart but offer support.

Lee, you should not have been cited. If you have the resources please consider fighting it. I believe if you lawyer up the summons will be dropped.

Good post. :agree: