FRYE ISLAND — Five people were injured Tuesday, two of them seriously, when the driver of a golf cart lost control of the vehicle and it rolled over.
The accident was reported about 5:30 p.m. on Ridge Road, one of the main roads on Frye Island, a 1.6-square-mile island in Sebago Lake.
Frye Island Police Chief Rod Beaulieu said the limousine-style golf cart with several rows of bench seating lost control as it traveled down a long, gradual hill.
“It started to wobble first and then the driver lost control,” Beaulieu said.
All seven passengers, ranging from adults to grade school-age children, were thrown from the cart. None were wearing seat belts. Beaulieu said he doesn’t believe the cart was equipped with seat belts.
Five people were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland and treated for unspecified injuries. Beaulieu declined to characterize the nature of the injuries or to identify any of the people involved until his investigation is complete.
One teenager and one adult were in serious condition.
Frye Island became a town in 1998. According to the 2010 Census, there were five year-round residents, but the island population includes about 1,400 seasonal residents this time of year, according to the town’s comprehensive plan.
Many seasonal residents use golf carts as a primary mode of transportation on the island.
Beaulieu said the island sees a handful of golf cart accidents each year but Tuesday’s crash was the most serious he’s seen in his six years as chief.
The golf cart accident was the second in Maine in less than a week.
A Sanford man fell off a golf cart Saturday in Casco and later died from his injuries at Maine Medical Center. John McKay, 52, was a passenger in a cart driven by Gary Belinsky, 59, of Westford, Mass. The spouses of both men were also riding on the cart at the time but were not injured.
Belinsky has been charged with drunk driving because his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit of 0.08. He could face additional charges now that McKay has died.
Staff Writer Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:
erussell@pressherald.com
Twitter: @PPHEricRussell
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