Runaway Golf Cart Injures Fans at the US Open
Five people were injured at the U.S. Open when one of several boxes being loaded onto a golf cart fell onto the accelerator and sent the cart into spectators.
The California Highway Patrol said a vendor parked the cart near the 16th hole Friday at Pebble Beach and was walking away when a box fell onto the gas pedal, moving it forward.
It struck four spectators and the vendor before it was brought under control.
One clip posted to Twitter captured a few seconds of the incident.
Scary moments at the @usopengolf earlier this morning! This runaway golf cart hit several people after a box fell on the accelerator. The USGA and CHP are investigating. #pebblebeach pic.twitter.com/xENOin6X1w
— Amanda Gomez (@AmandaGomezKION) June 15, 2019
The Monterey Herald says two victims were taken by ambulance to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
Their names were not released, and the hospital said it could not give out information on injuries over the phone.
The USGA acknowledged the accident in a statement.
As USA Today noted, police claimed a total of five people were hurt, while the USGA only said that three spectators and a vendor required medical treatment.
It was a chaotic scene, witnesses said.
“We were standing in the concession line on the 16th hole when all of a sudden there was a runaway cart and one guy running after it, then a bunch of people running after it,” Georgi Salant, who was standing near the concessions area, told GOLF.com.
“It was actually coming straight for the concession line and then it turned, just on its own, and it didn’t stop! It started driving in circles. It ran over like, five people,” Salant added.
Another eyewitness claimed onlookers tried to stop the runaway cart.
“This one guy was trying to chase it and was diving after it trying to stop it, I think he was just a spectator. And he got injured diving after it, he was sitting on the ground for a while afterwards, not movin,” an unnamed witness told GOLF.com.
“Finally a guy jumped on it and turned the wheel really hard and then pushed the box off — it was crazy,” the witness added.
Authorities are investigating the incident.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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