A 51-year-old borough man was killed Wednesday afternoon after a golf cart he'd spent months modifying in his garage veered off the roadway and into the woods, where it struck a tree, police said.
A 51-year-old borough man was killed after his modified golf cart struck a tree Wednesday afternoon in Rockaway Borough, police said. ROCKAWAY BOROUGH - A 51-year-old borough man was killed Wednesday afternoon after losing control while doing a test drive of a golf cart he'd spent months modifying in his garage, police said.
Shortly before 3:10 p.m. officers Bill Weischedel and Mike Rettino were dispatched to the area of Woodland Avenue after receiving a report of a single-vehicle accident, Weischedel said.
The cart's passenger, a 55-year-old Butler man, told officers the driver began traveling "too fast" and "tried to slow down" by pulling onto the grass and rocks since the vehicle didn't have brakes, Weischedel said.
Both men were ejected from the cart, which didn't have seatbelts, after it struck a tree, the officer said.
Officers from the Morris County Sheriff's Office and Morris County Prosecutor's Office also responded to the scene, along the Morris County medical examiner, EMTs and paramedics, Weischedel said.
Authorities do not consider the accident to be suspicious nor do they believe drugs or alcohol were a factor, he said.
The passenger suffered "minor injuries" and was taken to the hospital for treatment, he said.
The officer said authorities would release the driver's name once they are certain they've notified all relatives of the accident.
"This is the first time he took it out and gave it gas. He'd been toying with it for months - it had quad wheels and was not equipped for the roadway," said the officer.
Modified vehicles can be driven on private property, however they are not street legal, he said.
Kimberly Redmond may be reached at kredmond@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kr0618. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
