A Villager who crashed her golf cart at Lake Sumter Landing after she began drinking hours earlier at the Christmas Parade has secured a deal in her drunk driving case.
Karen Frances Hackett, 63, of the Village of Liberty Park, pleaded no contest Tuesday to a charge of driving under the influence in Sumter County Court. A charge of disorderly conduct was dismissed in exchange for the plea.
Her driver’s license has been suspended for six months, however, court records indicate she has asked for a “hardship” license. She was sentenced to 50 hours community service, but has requested that she be allowed to “buy out” of that service. She was also placed on probation for one year, but the oversight of that probation will be transferred to Camden, Mo.
The former Rock Island, Ill. resident began drinking on the morning of the Christmas Parade at The Villages Polo Fields, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. By 7:30 p.m., disturbed diners at TooJay’s Gourmet Deli and Sonny’s BBQ watched as Hackett’s golf cart hit a curb at Lake Sumter Landing. The impact knocked Hackett and a female passenger from the golf cart. The passenger suffered scraped knees and was vomiting. She was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. EMS personnel attempted to assess Hackett’s condition, but she began yelling and cursing, including profanity aimed at President Joe Biden. She also called out for Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Hackett provided breath samples that registered .249 and .246 blood alcohol content. She had hoped to bring in an expert to call her breath samples into question.
