Child dies after being hit by 3-year-old driving golf cart: Authorities
The kid driving the golf cart was uninjured.
A 7-year-old boy from Fort Myers, Florida, died after being seriously injured when he was hit by a golf cart his 3-year-old brother was driving, law enforcement officials said.
The 3-year-old was driving a trailer on private property on Orange River Avenue on Monday, approaching a bend near a house in the street when he collided with his brother, High Road Patrol Florida Express said in a press release. At that time, his 7-year-old brother was standing in front of the house. The Florida Highway Patrol did not provide any information as to why the 3-year-old was driving the golf cart.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 7-year-old was taken to the hospital and later died.
The child driving the golf cart was not injured, according to officials. He was not wearing a seat belt and was not wearing a helmet, police said.
Law enforcement officials are investigating the incident.
A seven-year-old boy was run over by a golf cart driven by a three-year-old on private property on Orange River Avenue in Buckingham, July 17, 2023.
Andrew West/News-Press/USA Today
According to a 2021 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), more than 6,500 children are injured by golf carts each year, with more than half of those being children 12 years of age or younger.
The researchers found that trauma occurred more in men than in women; Superficial trauma is common, with more serious injuries such as fractures and dislocations being the second most common; and most injuries occurred to the neck and head, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in its report.
“I think it’s important that we raise awareness of the severity and types of injuries golf carts cause to children, including teenagers, so that measures can be taken. more effective prevention in the future,” said Dr. Theodore J. Ganley, director of CHOP’s Center for Sports Medicine and Performance and President of the AAP Orthopedics Division, in a statement. New information posted research publication.
