A Villager arrested after a woman’s fatal fall from his golf cart lost his wife in December.
Richard Allen Keil, 58, of the Village of Rio Ponderosa, was arrested on a charge of DUI manslaughter after the 60-year-old Norridge, Ill. woman fell from his golf cart at about 1 a.m. Sunday on San Marino Drive at the intersection of Santa Clara Circle. He had swerved to avoid hitting a parked car and the sudden jerk caused her to fall from the golf cart, according to information from the Florida Highway Patrol. She suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital where she died.
Keil and his wife moved in 2015 to Florida from New Jersey. They bought their home in the Village of Rio Ponderosa in 2020.
Tracy Jo Keil, who had worked for 30 years for the State of New Jersey prior to retirement, died on Dec. 29. Her husband’s social media posts over the past several months clearly show he has been struggling with profound grief.
Keil was initially held without bond at the Sumter County Detention Center. On Monday morning, a judge set his bond at $50,000.