[CMANN]

Originally Posted by Posh 08

During my LSV I wanted to see if a cart, roundabouts, traffic etc. would be a problem for me. I didn't get any bad feelings about it. I'm a cautious driver but accidents can happen anywhere. There was a lady killed here locally when a tree fell on her while she was walking on a green way walking path. Wrong place, wrong time.

A voice of reason

[CarGuys]

Did I miss something or did anyone see hear or read who the other driver in the white car was?

Did someone pass out from a serious illness? Meds? Alcohol? or was it youth messing around?

Glad you did not have any serious injury to you or your wife.

H

[CaptJohn]

Originally Posted by CarGuys

Did I miss something or did anyone see hear or read who the other driver in the white car was?

Did someone pass out from a serious illness? Meds? Alcohol? or was it youth messing around?

Herv, You missed the part about the very old man stepping on the gas instead of brake. Time for your new glasses!

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

I'm glad to hear that you're both OK.

We love the golf-cart lifestyle. However we use our cart primarily for golf and trips to local shopping during the daytime. (And on three occasions we've seen cars driving on the golf cart path!) We rarely drive our golf cart in the area of the Squares after dusk.

Now that is scary!

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by rubicon

When I first moved here some guy decided to drive his Lexus convertible on the golf cart path and was headed for me and three other carts behind me just before sunrise. We all took to the grass. I called the police who so much told me they had seen this before and so ignored my plea for finding this nut job. Well after 6 years i find that it has occured a number of times. I have eye witnessed two of those accounts thus far.

Originally Posted by Barefoot

On three occasions we've seen cars driving on the golf cart path!

Originally Posted by Schaumburger

Now that is scary!

It is scary when you're driving a golf cart on the cart path, and you see an auto coming toward you, or overtaking from behind. I'm willing to bet that most peeps that have lived in The Bubble for a few years have witnessed a car taking the golf cart path!

[Bill-n-Brillo]

This past winter, we saw somebody trying to wedge their CRV onto the cart path across the street from the Colony rec center. There were enough carts coming at him/her that they quickly figured out the error of their ways, back out onto the street, and drove away.......on the street!

Bill

[SALYBOW]

I AM SO SORRY YOU HAD THIS EXPERIENCE. I too thank God that no one was hurt. I don't know what to tell you about how common it is but when you figure that there are 50000 plus carts in the villages we really don't have too many wrecks. From what I read, it seems that even had you been in a car , with unfortunate timing, you would have been injured. One remark that I hear a lot is , "I am going to take the cart since I intend to drink." I am still trying to figure that one out. Maybe some DUIs for carts are in order. I don't drink for the following reason. I get impaired with a small amount of liquor. I consider it my responsibility to keep myself sober, especially when driving.
I have no problem with people who choose to drink, just those that drink and drive...anything. Since you did not mention the police saying there was alcohol involved, I guess this was just getting confused with the change. This could possibly happen to many people. It is so important to drive defensively. The casual laid back atmosphere of the Villages cannot extend to driving. I for one would like to spend more time in this paradise before moving to the next one!!! I praise God for your escaping injury.

[pfhannan]

More Cart accidents, than you can imagine. You won't read about them in the local paper. My observation on the individuals are "Villagers" with an attitude, bringing there bad driving habits here, and so many grandchildren now in july, they are just crazy behind the wheel, even last night 4 young ones 15-18 doing wheelies, when I drove past them, a heavy smell of alcohol.
P.S. "Villagers with an attitude" can park anywhere, on sidewalks, on grass, you name it they will park.

Drive defensibly!

[joannej]

Reminds me of the time I was going through the Mallory tunnel and a car was coming the other way through the tunnel! Talk about scary! I yelled at him..."Men drivers!" and shook my head at him.

[cquick]

LOVE to go places in my golf cart! But.....we all have to be careful....and remember....this accident was caused by a car, not a golf cart!

On a funnier note....my 84 year old mother has moved to TV from Kissimmee.....she is more frightened of driving here than she was on John Young Parkway, the Osceola Parkway and hwy 192~ Go figure!

[billethkid]

TV is FL friendliest home town until some get behind the wheel.

Moving because of a near accident is like moving because a home was hit by lightning. One it is rare and two it can happen anyplace.

btk

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by DoctorA

My wife and I just moved to The Villages last Tuesday. We’ve really enjoyed having dinner and meeting new friends at LSL town center; and have been considering living here full-time. We’ve also enjoyed driving around in the golf cart. Usually we take the tunnel by Sweetbay to get to LSL from The Village of Caroline. Driving that way, we’ve noticed that the golf cart path that usually leads directly to LSL road is blocked off; making you drive through the Sweetbay parking lot then taking Old Camp road (we think that’s what it’s called as we are still getting used to the street names) to get to LSL road.
Well, tonight we went to LSL to meet with some friends for dinner and we took the same path to get back home. Luckily we did not have any drinks and we were not in a hurry driving back home. As we were driving on Old Camp road to get to the Sweetbay parking lot, I noticed a white car that looked like it was coming up to us really fast on our right side -- it was speeding through the parking lot behind Bravo Pizza (the restaurant located on the corner of Old Camp road and Lake Sumter Landing road). Behind Bravo Pizza is a parking lot. There used to be an exit from that same parking lot that exited onto Old Camp road. However, the exit was blocked off and a curb was added, along with several bushes and some trees.
While we were driving down Old Camp road all of a sudden that same white car came crashing over the curb, through the hedges and trees and was flying 3-4 feet high in the air just a few feet in front of us where we would have been in another 3 seconds… we would have been decapitated! It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to react!
We called the police immediately. The firemen and policemen did a good job blocking off the area and getting the area secure pretty quickly. The car ran into some shrubs and a policeman said that the driver also ran into a Transformer and broke a gas line. The police officer said that he smelled gas and was concerned that they may have to evacuate the area due to the gas.
With this near death accident, my wife is scared about living here and is thinking that we should put the house up for sale and move.

It is by the grace of G-D that we are still alive. There were also 6 teenagers walking on the sidewalk who also were literally seconds from being killed.
I am wondering:
How safe is it really to drive golf carts at night, in the squares with some people who may be too old to drive, and people drinking?
Are we getting to hear all these events or are they being covered up to protect the image of The Villages?
I would appreciate your comments and feedback. Especially from those of you who have been here for some time and have more insight into the area and maybe have some inside scoop.

I do think it is difficult to drive in the Villages when I make the assumption that as we all get older it is harder to be as vigilant as we once were. I would tell your wife to give it a year before she thinks about moving. Maybe use the cart in your village and then short runs out side. Use the car to go to the squares. Accidents can happen any place and a cart does offer less protection, but that will be true in any community you move too.

[dillywho]

Originally Posted by rjm1cc

I do think it is difficult to drive in the Villages when I make the assumption that as we all get older it is harder to be as vigilant as we once were. I would tell your wife to give it a year before she thinks about moving. Maybe use the cart in your village and then short runs out side. Use the car to go to the squares. Accidents can happen any place and a cart does offer less protection, but that will be true in any community you move too.

From the other posters regarding the 15-18 yr olds, the old age thing doesn't really wash. I think as people age, their reflexes may slow but most realize it and drive accordingly, regardless of the mode of transportation. Granted, there are some people of all ages who have no business driving anything.

[asianthree]

if you would have been in your car when they came crashing thru it may not have been any better. Give your wife a while she may change her mind and not move

[janmcn]

Does anybody know what The Villages Daily Sun reported about this accident? Were there any charges filed against the driver?