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2007 Slush Pile

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Man drives golf cart off cliff at Pala Mesa Resort

By: YVETTE URREA and QUINN EASTMAN - Staff Writers

PALA MESA -- A 65-year-old Irvine man was killed in front of three friends Tuesday morning when he rode his golf cart over a 75-foot-high cliff and crashed down onto Old Highway 395, authorities said.

The crash happened at 10 a.m. at the Pala Mesa Resort golf course north of Highway 76, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Kerns. Authorities got the first 911 calls just four minutes later.

"It's a sheer drop of 75 feet with rock outcroppings, a sheer rock face," Kerns said. "He rode down on the golf cart most of the way until it overturned near the bottom part."

North County Fire Protection District spokesman John Buchanan said that firefighters tried to administer lifesaving efforts, but the man was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was hurt.

The medical examiner's officer said the man was identified as Edwin Payne, who is survived by his wife, Clara Payne, he said.

Kerns said the horrific scene happened in front of Payne's former co-workers. Payne had joined the group of three men, who were in town for an industry conference. All worked in the real estate industry.

The men told officers that Payne had just teed off from the second hole on the facility's southern 18-hole course, but he lost his first ball, which went off into the brush, Kerns said. He was unable to locate the ball, so he hit another one and was headed toward his friends who were ahead of him, he said.

His friends told officers that Payne got back into the electric golf cart that was parked on the grass and went to get on a concrete path, Kern said.

"As his golf cart traveled off the lawn area and onto the concrete cart path in a southerly direction, the golf cart began to bounce around. It appeared that he lost control of the cart as it veered over the east curb of the cart path and down an embankment where it eventually went off a sheer cliff," Kerns said.

The cart jumped the concrete path's 6-inch curb and first went 30 feet down a slope with brush and trees, then over the cliff, the officer said.

The two-seat golf cart overturned near the bottom of the cliff. The impact crushed the vehicle, ripped off the roof and tore a seat off, he said. Payne was thrown into the southbound lane of Old Highway 395, Kerns said.

The Highway Patrol closed the road for about a quarter-mile in each direction until about 12:30 p.m. for the investigation, he said. The golf course and the entrance to the resort remained open.

Authorities are investigating what caused Payne to drive off the cliff. The crash happened so quickly that his friends did not know why he drove off the path, Kerns said. It was also unclear how fast he was going in the cart, which has a top speed of 12 mph, he said.

Golfers at the Pala Mesa Resort at lunchtime said it was hard to imagine how the golf cart could make it over the concrete path's 6-inch curb and through the brush between the course and the highway without stopping.

"From what we understand, it was a very unfortunate accident," said the resort's general manager, John Martin.

The Highway Patrol impounded the golf cart and will inspect it to determine if any mechanical defect or malfunction could have contributed to the crash, Kerns said. Alcohol was not suspected as being a factor in the crash, he said.

County crisis volunteers were called to the scene to help the friends of the man who died, Kerns said.

Comment: Makes you wonder how much time was spent at the 19th hole before heading out onto the course.....

Submitted on 05/23/2007

Submitted by: Doc Savage
Reference: 23 May 2007 http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05/23/news/top_stories/28_40_397_22_07.txt

>> Moderator Scores <<

Shadow said:
Definitely Toss: Other
We dont know the cause, there is no proof of stupidity and as a 75 year old man Id also like to knw if he was a father or even a grandfather... With a better story or an update perhaps we can look again. Thanks for the submission though!

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Other
I agree with Shadow. For all we know this man had some sort of medical problem kick in while he was on the cart. A heart attack, or even a fainting spell or bout of dizziness could have accounted for the loss of control of the cart. Thanks for sending this in, Doc.

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2007 Slush Pile

Foooooooooooooooore!

2007 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance