Going go-karting may be a fun way to spend some time during a visit to an amusement park, but for parents who are considering buying their child a personal go-kart should be aware that go-kart injuries are serious. Children who are hospitalized for go-kart injuries require an average stay of about five days. More than half of children who are hospitalized will require at least one surgery and nearly a third require multiple procedures. While go-karts intended for public use have to pass strict safety regulations, private go-karts have no such restrictions. According to statistics, more than 10,000 children are injured annually riding go-karts.
ABC Action News reports that a man was killed in a go-kart accident at Showtime Speedway.
The accident occurred Thursday night at about 10 p.m. Officers responded to a call about a go-kart crash at the Showtime Speedway in Pinellas Park. According to the report, two gas-powered go-karts had been racing down a closed drag strip.
29-year-old Jesse Outlaw, who had been driving one of the go-karts struck a guardrail and suffered from catastrophic injuries. He was taken to Bayfront Hospital and succumbed to those injuries shortly after arrival.
The investigation has so far revealed that the two drivers entered the property unlawfully. Once at the north end of the drag strip, the two go-karts began racing south on the western lane. Upon arrival at the southern end of the strip, they turned around and began racing north.
Outlaw failed to see the guardrail and crashed into it. Because the go-kart had no safety harness, Outlaw was thrown from the vehicle. He was not wearing a helmet.
A homicide investigation has been initiated, but the second go-kart driver was questioned and released. He did not strike Outlaw’s go-kart in the incident.