Two DUI arrests near the end of December underscore the threat posed by golf cart drunk drivers across The Villages.
A 56-year-old Village of Del Mar woman reportedly was charged with felony DUI after registering a shockingly high blood alcohol content. A 63-year-old Village of Rio Grande woman was popped for DUI a day later, after being involved in a crash.
The Del Mar woman was booked in December on charges stemming from an incident a month earlier, Villages-News reports. She was pulled over and later sent to a medical center for evaluation after a couple in another golf cart noticed that the woman’s cart was swerving and alerted cops.
The woman’s blood alcohol content reportedly was as high as 0.523%, or more than six times the legal limit (0.08%) for operating a motor vehicle. She lost her driver’s license in 2024, according to Villages-News, following an incident in which she fell out of her golf cart at Palmer Legends Country Club. The woman’s blood alcohol content was nearly 0.40% at the time of her previous arrest.
The Rio Grande woman, meanwhile, was charged with DUI at a hospital where she was being treated for injuries from a golf cart crash.
When questioned by cops, she “said she’d had a Bloody Mary that morning and had two Corona beers while at Amerikanos Grille at Spanish Springs Town Square,” Villages-News reports. “She admitted she had been driving the golf cart at the time of the crash.”
The woman agreed to breath testing after police officers said she performed poorly on sobriety tests at the medical facility. Her blood alcohol content registered as high as 0.08%. The woman reportedly had two prior DUI arrests in North Carolina.
Injured in a DUI Golf Cart Accident? Know Your Rights
More than 800 people are killed every year in Florida in accidents involving alcohol impaired drivers, according to data from Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Many more suffer a wide range of injuries in these collisions.
Anyone who is injured in a golf cart crash has the right to seek compensation from those responsible. That includes intoxicated or otherwise negligent drivers, as well as their insurers.
In the tragic case that a person dies in an accident, his or her loved ones can seek similar compensation through a wrongful death claim. While no amount of money can ever replace a loved one, compensation can help ease some of the financial strain that often comes with losing a loved one.
How a Villages Golf Cart Accident Attorney Can Help You
If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart or other accident, it is vital to seek the advice of an experienced lawyer. Villages golf cart accident attorney Tim Babiarz has been fighting for people and families across the community for more than two decades.
Our office is conveniently located in the Villages. We are also proud to represent clients throughout the area, including in Ocala, Leesburg, Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield, and beyond. Call (352) 205-7559 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a Villages golf cart accident attorney.
