Inset: Vincent Fortin (Monroe County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area where Vincent Fortin’s friend was found after being allegedly hurled from a stolen golf cart and breaking his hip (Google Maps).
A Florida man is now facing legal repercussions after allegedly stealing a golf cart and abandoning a friend who sustained a hip fracture during an incident described as an “abrupt u-turn,” authorities reported. Instead of pausing to assist his injured companion, the man reportedly continued to drive around Key West, relishing the unauthorized ride.
The individual, identified as 51-year-old Vincent Fortin from Winter Haven, was involved in a joyride with his friend when the unfortunate event transpired, as detailed in his arrest report. The report notes that Fortin’s actions resulted in significant bodily harm to his friend, necessitating urgent surgical intervention.
Police records reveal that Fortin, along with another acquaintance, had unlawfully acquired the golf cart earlier in the day. They used a “master key,” a tool capable of igniting multiple golf carts, to facilitate the theft.
The injured friend recounted being picked up by Fortin and seated at the back of the golf cart. It was during a sudden u-turn maneuver that he was violently ejected onto the pavement, according to the police account. A witness corroborated the story, observing Fortin “slam on his brakes” and subsequently witnessing the friend being thrown from the cart, as stated in the arrest records.
The report further indicates that Fortin failed to stop or offer assistance, instead opting to continue cruising along Duval Street, seemingly unperturbed by the incident.
The injured passenger was taken to Lower Keys Medical Center, where he underwent a CT scan of his head, neck, and hip. The results revealed a clear fracture in his left hip, requiring immediate surgical intervention, the police confirmed.
Fortin, who does not have a driver’s license, was taken into custody after an officer who was conducting a routine patrol in the area saw him “run a red light in front of him” while driving the golf cart, his arrest report says. The officer “realized that the driver of this golf cart was the same subject that was allegedly driving the golf cart earlier” and Fortin was promptly arrested.
Fortin is facing charges of grand theft, leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury, and operating a vehicle without a valid license. He’s being held on a $41,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 29.
