Woman killed on her wedding day by drunk driver (4 Viewers)

[DaveXA]

I get it, but drunk driving isn't going away. It's risky. So is riding a motorcycle. You can be as safe as you want, but you can't control what the other guy is doing, and if there's an accident there's not much in the way to protect you. I suppose at least most motorcycle riders wear helmets though.

I mean, if you really want to be safe, just stay at home. Of course, some drunk drive might plow into your house. Yeah.

 

[Madmarsha]

My first and last question would have more to do with someone intoxicated driving 65 in a 25 mph zone....also in the future golf carts, bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc will continue to be legal and very much used in beach communities.....

They will but I am still amazed anyone feels safe driving on road on a golf cart.

But, again, not the point. Drunk and going 65. Too bad she didn't just hit a lightpole and kill herself.

 

[superchuck500]

As someone who has visited Charleston a few times, there are quite a few of these barrier islands off the coast from the city itself, one of which is where a yearly PGA golf tournament is played or it used to be. Chuck, Mt. Pleasant, where you live, that technically isn't part of the city of Charleston, but in one of the adjacent counties nearby? Its part of the larger Charleston metropolitan area, but not exactly in the city itself?

Three cities make up the main metro Charleston area - there's Charleston, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant. With the exception of several rivers requiring bridges, they all three run together. It's sort of like the various city/town areas of the greater New Orleans area, but on a much smaller scale. And all three are in Charleston County.

I live in Mount Pleasant, but I work in Charleston. My kids go to school in Charleston. My commute from home in Mount Pleasant is about 15 minutes - but that's actually "all the way" across the Charleston peninsula. I can actually get to restaurants and other locations in downtown Charleston in about 7 or 8 minutes. In fact, I'm closer to downtown Charleston than I am to many places in Mount Pleasant, despite that being the city I technically live in. Interestingly, those three cities (Charleston, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant) are three of the top four cities in the state by population - the other is Columbia.

The PGA event you're talking about is on Kiawah Island. It is the barrier island that is directly south of Folly Beach, where this incident occurred. But Folly is more like an old beach "town" with a main street and a bit of a bohemian/surfer lifestyle and vibe (along with the young people from Charleston just there to party). Whereas Kiawah, one island down, is access-controlled rich white people, a beach resort, and a PGA golf course.

 

[Swamprat]

Terribly sad....

 

[superchuck500]

I've never liked it from either perspective of it being me on a golf cart or me driving a car near it. Because most of the cart drivers in a beach community? Drunk or too young to even have a driver's license.

But that's besides this point. So many lives now ruined.

A lot of people ride around on golf carts where we live. We don't - seems foolish, there's a lot of cars and trucks around.

But in a small beach community with narrow streets and very few opportunities for cars to be making any real speed, I'd be more comfortable with it, especially if it means that you can get go places and park (whereas cars often cannot).

 

[DaveXA]

They will but I am still amazed anyone feels safe driving on road on a golf cart.

But, again, not the point. Drunk and going 65. Too bad she didn't just hit a lightpole and kill herself.

I've driven golf carts on roads like this one before. Never felt like it was unsafe. But then again, I've never seen someone doing 65 in a 25, let alone drunk, where I drove at the time.

 

[Saintman2884]

A lot of people ride around on golf carts where we live. We don't - seems foolish, there's a lot of cars and trucks around.

But in a small beach community with narrow streets and very few opportunities for cars to be making any real speed, I'd be more comfortable with it, especially if it means that you can get go places and park (whereas cars often cannot).

Seems more naturalistic, living on a sleepy, kind of backwater, "Bohemian", barrier island where most of the island's residents, or local or out-of-state tourists don't drive cars or cars aren't seen regularly. Logistically, one can drive, peruse, venture into areas car or trucks couldn't fit into or be seriously damaged if one was foolish enough to try. Folly Beach sounds a little like Fairhope, AL on Baldwin County, it was founded in 1893 as an artists colony and while the population had increased significantly over the past 35-40 years, it still retains most of its small-town, " bohemian intellectual " character and attitude. The mayor and city-council don't even meet in a town hall building-setting, they have weekly meetings all over the city in undisclosed locations.

 

[Madmarsha]

I've driven golf carts on roads like this one before. Never felt like it was unsafe. But then again, I've never seen someone doing 65 in a 25, let alone drunk, where I drove at the time.

Nope. I'd feel unsafe because of precisely this situation.

 

[Madmarsha]

A lot of people ride around on golf carts where we live. We don't - seems foolish, there's a lot of cars and trucks around.

But in a small beach community with narrow streets and very few opportunities for cars to be making any real speed, I'd be more comfortable with it, especially if it means that you can get go places and park (whereas cars often cannot).

In a community with very few or no cars, completely different. That picture you posted? No way.

 

[DaveXA]

Nope. I'd feel unsafe because of precisely this situation.

Understandable, but it's not exactly like this happens with any real frequency. So I don't think I'd feel any differently.

 

[Madmarsha]

Understandable, but it's not exactly like this happens with any real frequency. So I don't think I'd feel any differently.

Come on, just takes one time. And by the other token, I don't want to be that person that ISN'T drunk and ISN'T speeding hitting the kid riding around on the streets in dad's cart not knowing the rules of the road because I'm watching other carts, other pedestrians, other cars. I don't want to get this convo offtrack of the subject, just taking the opportunity to discuss. It's not something I personally run into a lot anymore since most of the kids in my neighborhood have grown up and I haven't gone to Bay St. Louis in a while.

 

[DaveXA]

Come on, just takes one time. And by the other token, I don't want to be that person that ISN'T drunk and ISN'T speeding hitting the kid riding around on the streets in dad's cart not knowing the rules of the road because I'm watching other carts, other pedestrians, other cars. I don't want to get this convo offtrack of the subject, just taking the opportunity to discuss. It's not something I personally run into a lot anymore since most of the kids in my neighborhood have grown up and I haven't gone to Bay St. Louis in a while.

Yeah, well, kids shouldn't be driving those things at all imo. These were 2 adults driving the cart on a road like is commonly practiced there. I mean, I've seen drunk drivers plow into houses. Stuff happens.

And really, we're not that far apart. I generally agree with you.

 

[Madmarsha]

Yeah, well, kids shouldn't be driving those things at all imo. These were 2 adults driving the cart on a road like is commonly practiced there. I mean, I've seen drunk drivers plow into houses. Stuff happens.

And really, we're not that far apart. I generally agree with you.

Yep, I was just playing devil's advocate. And I live far back on a 2 acre lot. If a drunk driver wants to hit my house, they'd have to really be trying.

 

[superchuck500]

Seems more naturalistic, living on a sleepy, kind of backwater, "Bohemian", barrier island where most of the island's residents, or local or out-of-state tourists don't drive cars or cars aren't seen regularly. Logistically, one can drive, peruse, venture into areas car or trucks couldn't fit into or be seriously damaged if one was foolish enough to try. Folly Beach sounds a little like Fairhope, AL on Baldwin County, it was founded in 1893 as an artists colony and while the population had increased significantly over the past 35-40 years, it still retains most of its small-town, " bohemian intellectual " character and attitude. The mayor and city-council don't even meet in a town hall building-setting, they have weekly meetings all over the city in undisclosed locations.

Yeah, Folly definitely isn't sleepy - it's just too close to the city and has too many bars and restaurants to qualify as a quiet beach town, though I know exactly what you mean. And I have been through Fairhope a few times, though not this century.

But certainly compared to the other beach towns in the Charleston area (including Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Kiawah, Seabrook Island, and Edisto Island), Folly has a more freestyle, less uppity vibe - lots of surfers of various ages, some artisans and crafts people, places where people can rent out a room and live on their bicycle doing whatever they do. None of the other beach towns in the area are like that, there's too much money involved.

 

[Saint_Ward]

Sent the cart tumbling for 100 yards.

Were they on a hill?

That seems far even getting hit at 65 mph

Conservation of momentum, ignoring friction..., and doing some guess work, since I haven't done physics in a minute, and I don't feel like looking it up....

Average car is approx 4000lbs, travelling 65mph is an approx momentum of 260,000 lbs*mph. Average golf cart is approx 800-1000lbs, I'll use 1000. So, that translates to suddenly being propelled at 260 mph, if the car came to a full stop, which it wouldn't. It would only transfer some of it. I'll just use an estimate that the car would lose approx 1/4 of its momentum, and the cart would only receive 1/4. it would still propel the cart 65mph instantly, that's about 95 feet in 1 second. So, in 3-5 seconds, sure, 300 feet seems doable.