Golf carts are a beloved staple of daily life in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown, but a review of arrests in the first five months of 2026 shows that too many residents are still treating the paths like a free pass to drink and drive.
Local law enforcement agencies have already booked multiple Villagers this year for operating golf carts under the influence. The incidents range from staggering near the town squares to hit-and-run collisions and violent rollovers, highlighting a persistent danger on the community’s multimodal paths.
The most recent, high-profile incident occurred on Wednesday night when a 61-year-old resident of the Village of Dabney flipped his golf cart in a roundabout at St. Catherine Circle and Meggison Road. Wildwood police arrived to find Paul Mancuso swaying near the wreckage, with an open, cold alcoholic beverage still in the cart.
Mancuso, who allegedly admitted to paramedics that he had been drinking at Brownwood Paddock Square, reportedly became aggressive with hospital staff before providing breath samples that registered at .213 and .215 blood alcohol content. He is currently facing charges of driving under the influence and resisting an officer without violence…