A 3-year-old driving a golf cart struck and killed a 7-year-old on Monday in Fort Myers, Florida, according to a news release by Florida Highway Patrol. The crash took place on a private property in Lee County.
The 3-year-old was approaching a right curve near home when the front of the cart hit the child who was standing in the front yard, CNN reported. The older child was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The name of the children was not revealed, but the release mentioned that both children were boys and Fort Myers natives. It further said that the boys were not wearing helmets at the time of the accident and the driver was not wearing a seat belt.
Law enforcement officials are investigating the incident.
According to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), more than 6,500 children are hurt by golf carts every year and more than half of those injured are children under 12.
"I think it's important that we raise awareness of the severity and types of injuries that golf carts pose to children including pre-adolescents, so that greater prevention measures can be instituted in the future," Dr. Theodore J. Ganley, director of CHOP's Sports Medicine and Performance Center and Chair of the AAP Section on Orthopedics, said in a news release announcing the study.
