Injured teen warns of golf cart dangers

A Spring Hill teen left paralyzed after a golf cart accident in April is warning others about the potential dangers of the vehicles.

17-year-old Lexy Eukitis says she was test driving a golf cart with her boyfriend in his neighborhood when the throttle got stuck. The golf cart crashed and Eukitis was ejected, injuring her spine and leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.

Now Eukitis uses a wheelchair, but her family says she’s slowly improving.  Just this week she showed signs of muscle activity in her legs.

Eukitis says she’s determined to walk again.

“I’m going to walk again, so I’m not taking no for an answer,” said Eukitis.

She wants others to realize that golf carts can be just as dangerous as cars.  Along with her boyfriend’s mother Leslie Morrison, Eukitis hopes to reach out to others and let them know to think twice before getting in a golf cart.

“They’re not as benign as people think they are,” said Morrison.

“This can happen to you. It could happen to anybody,” Eukitis said.

According to Technology Associates, a company on the leading edge of research in golf cart safety, there are 150,000 accidents per year that end with emergency room visits. They attribute those statistics to the open-air design and relatively poor braking capabilities.

Medical bills are mounting for the family, which says they’ve already surpassed a million dollars. The family has set up a GoFundMe page for Eukitis at www.gofundme.com/LEXISTRONG.