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Galveston Mayor Craig Brown, right, talks about the city’s golf cart ordinances Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, after four people, including two children, were killed Saturday night in a collision involving two automobiles and a golf cart.
Galveston police Sgt. Derek Gaspard gives an update on a fatal collision involving a golf cart at the Joe Max Taylor Law Enforcement Center in Galveston on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Four people, including two children, were killed late Saturday in a collision involving a golf cart and two automobiles at 33rd Street and Avenue R in Galveston.
Galveston Mayor Craig Brown, right, talks about the city’s golf cart ordinances Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, after four people, including two children, were killed Saturday night in a collision involving two automobiles and a golf cart.
Galveston police Sgt. Derek Gaspard gives an update on a fatal collision involving a golf cart at the Joe Max Taylor Law Enforcement Center in Galveston on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Four people, including two children, were killed late Saturday in a collision involving a golf cart and two automobiles at 33rd Street and Avenue R in Galveston.
The city of Galveston would consider what steps might be taken to improve safety after a crash involving a rented golf cart carrying six people left four dead, including two children, Mayor Craig Brown said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
“We are seeing more golf carts on the island on the streets that they are not designed to be on because of the speed limits,” Brown said.
“It has become quite a concern here on the island. We take the responsibility of providing a safe environment.
“When we have situations like this, it causes us to take pause and look at what else we can do to provide a safer environment to all of our visitors.”
The city council would discussion the issue this week, Brown said.
The Saturday night crash, which police allege was a drunk-driving collision, involved a golf cart and two automobiles.
At about 11:35 p.m. Saturday, the Galveston Police Department responded to a major accident near the intersection of 33rd Street and Avenue R involving the golf cart, a black Hyundai SUV and a Dodge pickup truck, according to a department statement.
The black Hyundai struck a Dodge truck, which collided with the golf cart carrying the six people, police said.
Rosenberg resident Miguel Espinoza, 45, who drove the black Hyundai, sustained minor injuries and was transported to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, police said.
He was later arrested and charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter, police said.
“Additional charges are pending at this time,” Galveston Police Sgt. Derek Gaspard said. “We haven’t had those approved yet. The charges would be Intoxication Assault.”
Espinoza was in custody Sunday at the Galveston County jail on $400,000 bond, police said.
The as-yet unidentified man who was driving the golf cart was pronounced dead at the scene. An adult woman and two children riding the golf cart were transported to a University of Texas Medical Branch hospital, where they later died of their injuries, police said.
The two other golf cart passengers, an adult and a child, remained in critical condition Sunday at a medical branch hospital, police said.
There were two separate families in the golf cart, and members of each family died in the crash, Gaspard said.
“This is a terrible situation and the Galveston Police Department is very disturbed by this incident, and we’re keeping the families in our hearts,” Gaspard said.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission was assisting with the investigation, Gaspard said.
Police are withholding names, ages and other details about the victims until their next of kin can be notified.
José Mendiola: 409-683-5230 or jose.mendiola@galvnews.com
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33rd and Avenue R is likely within the speed limits YOUR City council deemed ok for golf carts! This was bound to happen will happen more and more. You were warned by citizens that there was going to be a tragic event. The Golf Carts should not be on the busy roads and amend your ordinance to meet those expectations. Let's also remember a drunk driver caused the crash, but the risk to the riders of the golf care were exceedingly high in the evening.
Absolutely right. Stop kowtowing to golf cart vendors. Blood is on your hands, city council.
They’re GOLF carts, not street carts…
But don’t let that interfere with a few more tourist bucks…and funerals…
This household wholeheartedly agrees with Trudy Deen Davis, Raul Reyes, and George Croix!
Interesting that the comments are all ( so far) around the Cities policies on Golf Carts… how about we hold the damn DRUNK DRIVER accountable!
You are aware that the drunk driver hit a truck who then hit the golf cart right? And that along with Golf Cart, bicycles are also allowed on the streets, in fact according to the two wheel transit authority they should ride center lane. Not just automobiles are allowed on streets and I promise you the city isn’t getting rich off Golf Cart buisness
Texas transportation code says golf carts are only allowed on public roads during daylight hours. Similar language was included in the proposed golf cart ordinance last year, but removed. If existing rules and regs were properly enforced, it's likely that golf cart would not have been on the street at all, and four people would still be with us. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/TN/htm/TN.551.htm
The drunk driver (innocent until proven guilty) is, of course, one hundred percent at fault for the accident, but the current situation around golf cart rentals, where people aren't aware/informed of the rules and regs, or just ignore them, cannot stand.
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