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Daniel Rivera, a 21-year-old Texas man, was charged with three counts of felony murder after a deadly crash in Towne Lake that killed three men riding in a golf cart. The perpetrator, who was taken into custody on Sunday, August 6 was charged hours after the crash.
Daniel Rivera was accused of running a stop sign in his black Cadillac Escalade while under the influence of alcohol before colliding with a golf cart with three passengers.
The victims of the fatal crash at the intersection of Greenhouse Road and Towne Lake Parkway in the Cypress area were identified as Jacob Wnuk, Christopher Scandridge, and Fraser Anderson.
Daniel Rivera was driving with a child and a female passenger at the time of a fatal golf cart crash
Daniel Rivera was reportedly driving with a female passenger and a juvenile in his black SUV at around 3 am on Sunday. At the time, he ran a stop sign and crashed into the golf cart at the intersection.
The passengers in the golf cart, Jacob Wnuk and Fraser Anderson, were pronounced dead at the scene. Christopher Scandridge was reportedly rushed to an area hospital, where he was later declared dead.
Authorities said that the child passenger in the Black SUV was unhurt, but Daniel Rivera and the female passenger were transported to a hospital over non-life-threatening injuries.
Shortly after Daniel Rivera was treated at the hospital, he was taken into custody and subsequently charged with three counts of murder, as he had been drinking alcohol before the crash. Explaining the gravitas of the situation, in a statement to ABC News Major Susan Cotter said:
"It's a horrible situation. Driving around on a golf cart at three o'clock in the morning, you're not visible. You look at the weights of the vehicles. The weight of a Cadillac SUV is tremendous as opposed to a golf cart. You've got a big weight differential when the golf car gets hit."
Neighbors speak out in the wake of Gold cart crash in Towne Lake
Meanwhile, neighbors in the Towne Lake community expressed concerns over golf carts operating on the roads at night. Neighbors in the tight-knit community said the golf carts should only be driven during the day. Texas state law allows golf carts with a license plate to be operated on roads in certain neighborhoods but only during daytime.
The Towne Lake community reportedly falls under the criteria. Addressing the incident, a neighbour identified as Serena Hayden told Fox News:
"In my mind, I’ve always thought it was only a matter of time before something tragic happened. We don’t have a golf cart and part of the reason why is because I don’t want myself or my kids crossing the streets when cars don’t pay attention sometimes.”
Sean Brown noted that people should adhere to the rules before operating a golf cart.
"When you’re driving a golf cart, you should make sure you know the laws of the road right and where your golf cart should be. Should it be on the road or the sidewalk, right?"
The incident reportedly occurred one year after four people were killed in a fatal golf cart accident by another drunk driver in Galveston. The crash reportedly killed two minors, identified as 14-year-old Brailyn Cantu, and 4-year-old Kaisyn Bencantur, and two adults, 49-year-old Felipe Bencantur and 25-year-old Destiny Uvalle.
