Boy, 7, killed by toddler driving golf cart in Florida, police say

A 3-year-old boy driving a golf cart fatally struck his older brother in Florida on Monday afternoon, police said. 

The toddler was behind the wheel on private property on Orange River Boulevard in Fort Myers around 4 p.m. when the deadly incident happened, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. It wasn’t immediately clear if the children lived at the residence. 

The 3-year-old driver was approaching a curve when he hit his 7-year-old brother in the front yard, officials said. The older boy suffered critical injuries. He was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

The 3-year-old boy was not injured, according to the police report. He was not wearing any kind of seat belt nor helmet while driving the golf cart. 

Police have not said why the child was behind the wheel of a golf cart or if there were any adults around at the time of the deadly collision. Most golf carts have a top speed between 12 and 14 miles per hour.

More than 6,500 children and adolescents are injured by golf carts each year, an American Academy of Pediatrics study analyzing data from 2010-2019 found. Just over half of the injuries are in those ages 12 and younger. 

Most of the injuries were superficial, with fractures and dislocations being the second most common type of injuries. 

“As the incidence of golf cart related injuries continues to rise and their accessibility increases proportionately, improved safety guidelines and regulations should be considered in hopes of preventing these common injuries, especially in an at-risk pediatric population,” the organization warned.

There have been some recent efforts to restrict access to golf carts in Florida.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in May signed a bill raising the age for golf cart drivers, CBS affiliate WPEC reported. Florida law currently allows a 14-year-old to drive a golf cart. Under the new law, set to go into effect in October, golf cart drivers under the age of 18 must be at least 15 with a learner’s permit or 16 with a driver’s license. Anyone who is 18 or older needs a valid government-issued ID.