A Peachtree City woman required surgery for a double fracture to her leg after being struck and dragged by a Peachtree City man on a golf cart who was cited for DUI (alcohol) following a May 26 concert at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater.
William Helm, 57, of Peachtree City, was charged by Peachtree City Police with DUI (alcohol) in connection with striking a 48-year-old Peachtree City woman as she was walking with her husband on the cart path following the concert.
The victim’s husband told The Citizen that he and his wife were holding hands as they walked along the path, adding that the golf cart came out of nowhere and struck his wife.
The police officer responding to a call said he spoke with Helm and could smell an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person, according to reports. Helm admitted that he had a couple of beers at the concert, reports said.
Helm reported that he had parked in a pine straw area and that when he and a passenger got into the golf cart the vehicle jumped forward as he released the parking brake. At that time the golf cart struck the pedestrian as she was walking on the adjacent cart path, Helm told police.
Police reports noted that the pedestrian suffered an injury to her left leg and was transported to Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
The woman’s husband early Tuesday afternoon gave an updated assessment of the injury, explaining that his wife sustained a double fracture in her lower left leg that required plates and screws during surgery. He noted that she aspirated during surgery and had been on a ventilator from Sunday until early Tuesday afternoon.
Police reports noted that two witnesses to the incident gave a different version of the events than the one supplied by Helm. Witnesses said they observed two people in the golf cart pulling out quickly from the pine straw area. They observed the male driver hit the pedestrian and continue to proceed to the lower parking lot while dragging the pedestrian a short distance, reports said.
The two witnesses also noted that the driver continued to pull away until a passer-by stopped him and pulled the key from the ignition of the golf cart. Witnesses said the driver appeared to be surprised that he had struck the pedestrian and that he attempted to drive away again until he noticed there were no keys in the ignition, according to reports.
The officer said Helm agreed to a voluntary field sobriety evaluation though during portions of the evaluation he was said to sway, lose his balance and fail to follow instructions. Helm also refused to take a portable breath test, the report added.
Helm was subsequently placed under arrest.
Helm in the incident report was listed as an employee of the FAA.
