Golf carts are generally viewed as benign vehicles. They have a very low top speed and don’t weigh very much, but they are not very stable. The use of alcohol by a golf cart driver can raise the level of threat considerably, as demonstrated by the recent arrest of a 19-year-old man from Mount Holly in connection with the death of a young woman who allegedly fell from a cart that he was driving.
The incident
According to witness statements, a 19-year-old male was giving joy rides in a golf cart to his friends. According to witnesses, he was drunk at the time. When a teenage girl fell from the passenger seat and did not respond, some of the bystanders attempted to help her and found her unresponsive. They called police, and the first responders found the girl on the ground, unconscious and not breathing. The girl was taken to a local hospital and died the next day.
Criminal charges against the cart driver
The young man who witnesses said was driving the cart at the time of the accident was arrested by police and charged with reckless driving, driving while intoxicated, and possessing an open container of a beverage containing alcohol. Two days later, the death of the young woman prompted police to add involuntary manslaughter to the other charges. Press reports said the suspect was being held in the Gaston County jail on a $300,000 bond.
It can be frightening to face drunk driving-related charges, but all those who are charged with a crime have the right to a defense.