5 Injured When Golf Cart That Simulates Drunken Driving Strikes Attendees at Police Event in New Jersey

A National Night Out event in New Jersey this week resulted in multiple hospitalizations after a golf cart rigged to mimic the experience of driving while impaired left its designated course and struck multiple people while being operated by a juvenile, police said.

National Night Out is an annual event held in towns across the country to build relationships between police departments and the communities they serve, and the Wildwood Police Department said it has operated the golf cart simulation at such events and elsewhere for 20 years.

The impaired operator simulation uses a “speed governed” golf cart rigged to handle as if the driver is intoxicated. During the event on Tuesday night, the golf cart was being operated by a juvenile attendee and a Wildwood Police officer when it “left the enclosed course and struck several individuals,” police said.

The Wildwood Fire Department was already present at the event and immediately began treating injured attendees. Four adults and one juvenile were transported to Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional. Three were treated and released, while two remained hospitalized on Wednesday, police said.

“This tragic incident is disconcerting to the entire City of Wildwood Police Department, and we would like to offer our sincere thoughts and prayers to the injured individuals,” police said.

The police department said it is investigating the incident, and asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Wildwood Police Department (609-522-0222) or the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office(609-465-1135).

—TMX contributed to this report.