A Villages woman is set to lose her driving privileges after ramming her golf cart into a minivan in a DUI crash.
The 56-year-old Village of DeLuna resident recently pleaded no contest to a single change of driving under the influence, Villages-News reports. The charge reportedly stemmed from a March accident in which the woman’s Yamaha golf cart collided with a Toyota Sienna minivan in Pinellas Plaza.
Officers investigating the crash, which caused about $1,000 in damage to the van, suspected the woman had been drinking.
The woman “admitted she had consumed four rum and cokes before getting into her golf cart and leaving Lake Sumter Landing,” Villages-News reports. “She agreed to take part in field sobriety exercises, but noted she has a medical condition that ‘affected her bones and her spine making her unsteady,’ according to a police report cited by the news outlet. “She said she would fall down if she attempted the exercises. She also said she takes ‘multiple medications.’”
The woman was later transported to a local hospital, where she provided two breath samples. The samples reportedly showed her blood alcohol content at 0.115%, over the 0.08% legal limit for operating a motor vehicle in Florida. The samples were given some three hours after the accident, police reportedly noted.
The driver will lose her license for a full year and be placed on probation during that time, according to Villages-News. She will also be required to perform 80 hours of community service.
Getting behind the wheel of a golf cart while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a reckless decision. And, yet, it happens frequently in the Villages.
In the same week that the DeLuna resident pleaded no contest to the DUI charge, another Villager also lost his license for operating a golf cart while intoxicated.
The 51-year-old Village of Sabal Chase man was stopped by cops, also after drinking at Lake Sumter Landing and then leaving in a golf cart. The man appeared to have driven his vehicle off of Buena Vista Boulevard and into a grassy shoulder.
He struggled through field sobriety exercises and later provided breath samples that registered his blood alcohol content as high as 0.242%, or three times the legal limit.
The man pleaded no contest to a DUI charge. He had his license suspended for six months, was placed on probation for one year and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
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.
