To the Editor:
Two weeks ago on Friday afternoon Aug. 26, 2022 about 2:30 p.m., my wife and I were driving home in our EZ-GO electric golf cart west on Bailey Trail less than a mile from our house.
As we approached the entrance/exit of the Sunset Pointe postal facility, I noticed woman driving a red Toyota Camry stopped at the stop sign waiting to exit. As we got closer the female driver did the unthinkable. She pulled out directly in front of us in an attempt to turn left and drive east. My left foot reached for the horn button on the floor while my right foot came off the accelerator pedal and reached for the brake. We hit her driver’s car door in less than three seconds going probably 20 miles per hour. We hit with a very abrupt jolt and both of us stayed in the cart thanks to having our seat belts fastened.
I got out of the cart and went around to the passenger side to check on my wife who was in a lot of pain. A retired firefighter came to the cart, introduced himself and offered to help as his wife called 911. After checking on us, he went into the street to help direct traffic. In less than 5 minutes a Sumter County sheriff’s deputy arrived. In the next two minutes, the paramedics arrived.
The first response from all were, “Are there any injuries?” My wife was still in the golf cart complaining of back pains, so the paramedics attended to her. I was lucky and only had some cuts and scrapes on my right lower leg from scraping against the cart’s brake pedal during the collision. A second deputy arrived and they pushed my cart from the street to the curb. Meantime, my wife was now out of the cart standing under the shade of a tree and called a neighbor who drove to this postal station and picked us up and took us home. I left my wife at home and drove our car back to the accident scene. Next, Wildwood Auto wrecker arrived and towed the cart from the scene. About half an hour later the deputy completed the paperwork and gave each of us a copy of the driver’s information exchange. He told me the other driver received a citation for failure to yield right of way.
When I got home my wife was still in a lot of pain so we went to UF-ER on SR 44 and Meggison Road. That ended up being a great choice. For the next 5 hours their medical staff ran many tests including X-Rays of the upper part of her body. The results showed my wife’s 11th and 12th ribs on her back right side were partially fractured. This evidently happens when the body is jerked violently from front to back, especially for someone 76 years old. Partial fractures like these are very painful and can take 6 weeks to 3 months to heal. All the remaining tests showed no medical problems. My wife received pain medication and specific instruction on how to use a special plastic tube to correctly breathe during recovery to prevent pneumonia.
In summary, we are both happy to be alive with minimal injuries after such a terrifying event. Now begins all the things we must do like contacting the insurance company, the sheriff’s office, the towing company, the golf cart company, and a lawyer. The 5-year-old EZ-GO golf cart will be a total loss. Thank goodness our seat belts were fastened.
Lastly, I was shocked when the 80-year-old woman from Sunset Pointe who was driving the red Toyota Camry and caused the accident and stood 10-15 feet away from me for close to two hours never uttered a word. She never said she was sorry, “Are there any injuries?” or “How can I help?” She certainly does not belong in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
Seat belts save lives!
Charles Vanderford
Village of Poinciana
