We use the golf cart as much as possible. Had the villages not been a golf cart community, we would not be living here. I could not imagine having to jump in the car to go to all the activities in the villages like golf, swim, pickleball, grocery shopping, rec center events.

Yes, but that would mean they were driving a "smart" car on the MMP---which would indicate a "dumb" driver.

Might be a useful site.

http://wiki.legalexaminer.com/help-c...accidents.aspx

This too--

Car Accidents Caused by a Medical Emergency | Nolo.com

Do not know if it would have made a difference but I feel seat belts are the safer way to go in the golf cart.

Back up north, I knew two brothers that owned a very successful business. They were driving home on a highway when a small airplane crash landed on their car. Maybe we should stop driving cars and ban airplanes.

Incidentally, a man who was running along this same path was also struck and injured. Maybe we should never leave our houses.

Did you hear about the eighteen wheel tractor trailer that crashed into a house in California killing the couple who were asleep in their bedroom? Maybe we just need to ban all sorts of motorized transportation.

True, but I would be willing to wager that more of these medical related accidents involve seniors than any other age group.

The reality is that as we get older, the more likely we are to have a medical episode. We are also more likely to die.

Lots of people on this and other traffic related threads seem to be looking for a risk free world. But there are 6.4 million traffic accidents with 33,000 deaths each year in the US.

I am still amazed at the odds of an accident like this happening, I don't even have and idea of how to calculate it or how to get some data. We would need to know the accident rate for cars passing a certain point, how many were caused by a medical event, how many jumped the curb, how many had a parallel MMP just for starters. Then add the very limited time window involved and I'll guess you have a better chance of winning the lottery.

The DS reported one fatality from this accident, condolences to the family and wishes for a speedy recovery to the other victims.

It is a 100% certainty that we will die. ;)

Interestingly, medical issues do not make the top 25 causes of accidents or even get honorable mention, and neither does advancing age:


1. Distracted Driving

The number one cause of car accidents is not a criminal that drove drunk, sped or ran a red light. Distracted drivers are the top cause of car accidents in the U.S. today. A distracted driver is a motorist that diverts his or her attention from the road, usually to talk on a cell phone, send a text message or eat food.

More on how distracted driving causes accidents



2. Speeding

You’ve seen them on the highway. Many drivers ignore the speed limit and drive 10, 20 and sometimes 30 mph over the limit. Speed kills, and traveling above the speed limit is an easy way to cause a car accident. The faster you drive, the slower your reaction time will be if you need to prevent an auto accident.

More on how speeding causes accidents



3. Drunk Driving

When you drink, you lose the ability to focus and function properly and its very dangerous when operating a vehicle. Driving under the influence of alcohol causes car accidents every day, even when they are one the top causes that can be avoided. Always use a designated driver if you go out and drink.

More on how drunk-driving causes accidents



4. Reckless Driving

If you don’t drive carefully, and you may end up in a needless car accident. That’s what often happens to reckless drivers who speed, change lanes too quickly or tailgate before causing a car accident. Reckless drivers are often impatient in traffic so be sure to take extra care around aggressive drivers.

More on how reckless driving causes accidents



5. Rain

If the weather gets bad so do the roads. Car accidents happen very often in the rain because water creates slick and dangerous surfaces for cars, trucks, and motorcycles and often causes automobiles to spin out of control or skid while braking. To avoid a car accident, drive extra careful when it rains.

More on how the rain causes accidents



6. Running Red Lights

When you’re driving your car, red means stop and not doing so usually leads to car accidents. Drivers that run red lights, run the risk of causing wrongful death because they often cause side-impact collisions at high speeds. To avoid a car accident, look both ways for oncoming cars as you approach a green light.



7. Running Stop Signs

Stop signs should never be ignored, but when they are, serious car accidents are often the result. Each year, thousands of car accidents occur because one driver ran a stop sign. Many rollover accidents and side-impact car accidents result from drivers that run stop signs. You should always look both ways when proceeding through a stop sign.



8. Teenage Drivers

Youth is wasted on the young, but careful driving is never wasted on young drivers. Unfortunately, teenagers aren’t often known for their carefulness. When teen drivers hit the roads they don’t always know what to do and that lack of experience ends up causing car accidents.

More about how teenage drivers cause car accidents



9. Night Driving

Driving in the daylight can be hazardous, but driving at night nearly doubles the risk of a car accident occurring. When you can’t see what’s up ahead you don’t know what to anticipate as you drive towards it. As the sun goes down, your awareness of the road and cars around you must go up.

More on how night driving is a top cause of accidents



10. Design Defects

No product is ever made perfectly, and cars are no different. Automobiles have hundreds of parts, and any of those defective parts can cause a serious car accident. Many automakers have had problems with design defects in the past, including Ford Explorer rollover accidents and Toyota’s unintended acceleration crashes.

More on how design defects cause car accidents



11. Unsafe Lane Changes

There will always come a time where you need to get over to another lane (i.e. exit from a freeway, get in the correct lane to make a turn, etc.). When drivers don’t make safe lane changes properly, it often leads to a car accident. To prevent a needless car accident, use your turn signal, check your blind spots and always proceed carefully into the next lane.

More on how unsafe lane changes cause car accidents



12. Wrong-Way Driving

Everyone has lapses in judgment, but when behind the wheel of a car, those clouded instincts can be deadly. You can turn down a street thinking it is a normal right turn, when in actuality, it is a one-way street in the opposite direction. When you go the wrong way, everyone is in danger because as you head towards a car accident.

More about wrong-way driving car accidents



13. Improper Turns

The reason that we have stop lights, turn signals, and lanes designated for moving either right or left as opposed to straight is because when drivers ignore the rules of the road, car accidents are often the result. To prevent a car accident, always look for signs and obey the proper right-of-way before you make a turn.

More about car accidents caused by improper turns



14. Tailgating

Many drivers are impatient and reckless, driving so close to another car that they cannot react in time if the car in front of them brakes suddenly. Many fatal car accidents have occurred when a motorist dangerously tailgated another driver at high speeds. You can prevent these car accidents by giving the car in front of you a one-car-length buffer for every 10 mph you drive.

More on how tailgating is a top cause of accidents



15. Driving Under the Influence of Drugs

It’s not only alcohol that is dangerous when mixed with drivers on the road. Drugs, both legal and illegal, can impair your ability to fully function as a driver. If your mind isn’t clear and you don’t have complete control over your body, getting behind the wheel can lead to serious car accidents.

More about drugged driving car accidents



16. Ice

You’re driving down the road, it’s dark out and you want to get home for the warm fire. Next thing you know, you’re car is spinning dangerously out of control because you hit black ice. While San Diego hardly ever has ice, ice is a major cause of car accidents for cities with cold weather climates.

More about how icy roads cause car accidents



17. Snow

Snow’s dangerous mixture of ice and water is a dangerous recipe for car accidents each winter storm. Like ice, snow is not something you usually encounter when driving in San Diego. Cities with cold winters know all-too-well just how dangerous snow can be for commuters.

More about car accidents in the snow



18. Road Rage

Everyone has been angry at another driver for one reason or another, but some drivers let their rage overcome them. By tailgating another driver in anger or speeding past another driver only to pull in front of them and brake, these road “ragers” cause many needless car accidents each year.

More on car accidents caused by road rage



19. Potholes

Motorists in San Diego are well aware of the dangers posed by potholes in the street. Drivers run the risk of losing control of their car or blowing out a tire when they drive over these potholes. If you see a pothole in your car’s path, you can avoid a car accident by making sure that your tires do not drive over it.

More on how potholes cause car accidents



20. Drowsy Driving

Driver fatigue isn’t talked about a lot, but how well can we expect anyone to drive when they’re having trouble staying awake. Most of the car accidents caused by drowsy driving occur at night. If you find yourself wanting to fall asleep at the wheel, pull over when it’s safe and try to take a quick 30 minute power nap.

More on drowsy driving car accidents



21. Tire Blowouts

Most highways are littered with the scattered remains of a tire blowout. Tire blowouts can cause you to lose control of your vehicle, and they are especially dangerous for bigger automobiles like semi-trucks. When encountering a tire blowout, try to maintain control of your vehicle and pull over safely and you will likely avoid a serious car accident.

More on car accidents caused by tire blowouts



22. Fog

Fog isn’t the most common weather occurrence, and that’s good news for car accidents statistics. Driving is a skill that requires the ability to see, but fog makes it extremely difficult to see sometimes more than a car length in front of you. Avoid car accidents by using your head lights — and never your high beams — when driving in the fog.

More on car accidents in the fog



23. Deadly Curves

Some people call them dead man’s curves, but everyone should be careful when approaching a curve. Many motorists have lost control of their cars along a dangerous curve and lost their lives in a car accident. So when you approach these signs, take head of the posted speed limit and drive cautiously to avoid a car accident.

More on how deadly curves cause accidents



24. Animal Crossings

While drivers are required to know the rules of the roadway, wild animals do not take driver’s education. Wild animals will wade out into the street, and it’s up to you to make sure that you don’t get into a car accident with them. Take caution when you see an animal crossing sign and use your high beams when traveling in rural, woody areas.

More on avoiding car accidents at animal crossings



25. Street Racing

Glorified by the Fast and the Furious movie franchise, street racing is an underground culture of fast cars and deadly car accidents. With turbo engines and nitrous oxide boosters, cars often reach very high speeds during a street race, making any resulting car accident much more dangerous and unlikely to yield any survivors.

More on car accidents caused by street racing



Honorable Mention
•High Winds
•Loose Objects in Cars
•Police Car Chases

Looks like the driver of the SUV who had a medical emergency is 58 and lives in Fruitland Park.

I read on "The news" that the driver of the vehicle that left the road is 58.

It would be interesting to know, although I doubt we ever will, just what the medical issue was. After all, it is not out of the realm of possibilities that a driver who was texting, or screwing with his radio or GPS, or dropped a cigar in his lap lost control of his vehicle and upon realizing what happened could claim sudden , incapacitating chest pain, or abdominal pain, or a syncopal event. Very hard to disprove those claims.

First of all, my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all involved. A friend of mine who was caught up in the traffic from this tragic event witnessed a golf cart actually drive across 466A jumping the median and curbs. Talk about a death wish.

Some highly emotional responses here...judgmental too

I'm surprised that some people are surprised that accidents occur. and I'm surprised that some people would confuse an accident with an intentional act.

Given The Villages demographic, while it wouldn't move the needle much, chances of an accident occurring because of a medical emergency or a distracted driver or inattentive driver would be greater here.

We may never know what medical emergency this driver experienced. And as to fault we certainly will not know if this driver had advance warning of a problem, ignored doctors orders or ignored taking needed medicine to control the medical issue. However it is central to the liability issue

The SUV, other than its weight is not a factor

finally this so called freakish accident is more common than many realize...its why they define them as accidents.

I will now bow my head in prayer for the repose of the soul of our deceased resident.

Seriously???? I guess Judge Judy is right, "You can't fix stupid". They're lucky they didn't blow out a sidewall jumping the curb, leaving them sitting ducks in the middle of the highway (westbound lanes, as I understand it the eastbound lanes were tied up)