Jamie Teran seriously injured when golf cart falls from River Plantation Golf Course bridge
Around 5:30pm Sunday 12-year old Eddie Teran was riding on a golf cart with his uncle James Teran, 36, at the River Plantation golf course in Conroe. When they went to cross a bridge the golf cart hit an ornate wooden railing on a covered bridge, the railing gave way and the boy, his uncle and the golf cart went over the side of the bridge, falling about 30 feet. Channel 13’s story is here. The Houston Chronicle’s story is here. The Montgomery County Courier article is here. Channel 11’s story is here.
The Chronicle’s article indicates James Teran suffered serious injury, including a badly broken leg and a fractured skull. The Montgomery County Police Reporter states this was the second time such an accident has happened in the part few months: previously a teenage boy in a golf cart transporting soft drinks at a golf tournament crashed through the railing.
Given that the bridge is intended for golf cart traffic one would think the would be fall protection in place for open-sided golf carts passing over such a high bridge. The Montgomery County Police Reporter article describes the railing as “not much more than a porch railing,” which is clearly unsuitable for a bridge designed to carry golf carts because it is not a question of if a golf cart would hit the railing, it is a question of when. Jim Teran, Eddie’s grandfather and James’ father, told the Montgomery County Courier that it is easy for the tires of a golf cart to become stuck in the boards on the bridge, causing the driver’s ability to steer to be affected.
Jamie Teran is tended to by paramedics after his golf cart crashed through an ornamental railing
The golf cart fell about 30 feet to the stream below, seriously injuring Jamie and his nephew
A wooden railing to the side of this covered bridge gave way allowing the golf cart to fall