Golf cart hit manhole cover before rider died, FL cops say. Driver is accused of DUI
A 34-year-old man riding in a golf cart fell onto a Florida road and died, officials said.
Now, another man accused of being behind the wheel faces a DUI manslaughter charge, according to the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
Officers in a news release didn’t list attorney information for the golf cart driver, identified as 53-year-old John Hehr.
A preliminary investigation showed he was driving from a clubhouse to a home while the other man was “standing in the rear of the golf cart” on Tuesday, April 26. That’s when the golf cart hit a raised manhole cover, tossing the passenger onto the road, according to officials.
The passenger — 34-year-old Christopher Cipra — was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Cipra was from Houston, Texas, officials said.
Hehr and a second golf cart passenger weren’t injured, according to police.
The incident was reported just after 11 p.m. at the Floridian National Golf Club, roughly 100 miles north of Miami.
Hehr, a resident of Spring, Texas, was arrested and taken to the St. Lucie County jail. An investigation was ongoing as of April 27.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Golf cart hit manhole cover before rider died, FL cops say. Driver is accused of DUI."
