Bystanders who were injured when police allowed an 11-year-old to operate a golf cart while they simulated drunk driving conditions have sued the city of Wildwood and its police department.
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The incident took place on Aug. 6, 2024, during National Night Out, with police officer Jonathan Goraj in the passenger seat of the golf cart, the suit alleges.
The 11-year-old was outfitted with “impairment goggles,” to simulate intoxicated driving, the lawsuit states.
The child pressed the accelerator pedal, lost control of the golf cart and crashed through the course that had been set up with orange police cones on the outfield of the baseball field in Fox Park, injuring several bystanders.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed on August 5, 2026 in Cape May County Superior Court, are Wildwood resident Christopher Hines, and a family from Ohio: David and Lori Galambos, their daughter, Rachel Kelly and their two sons, Simon and Gideon.
Injured in the crash were Hines, David Galambos and Simon Galambos, the lawsuit states. Wildwood officials had previously said five people in all were injured in the incident. The mom, grandmother, and sibling all witnessed the crash, the lawsuit states.
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Named as defendants are the City of Wildwood, its police force, Officer Goraj, and the National Night Out organization. National Night Out, also known as National Association of Town Watch, is a Wynnewood, Pa.-based organization.
Hines suffered injuries to his neck, back and legs, the lawsuit states.
Simon, the child, suffered a collapsed lung, a concussion and injuries to his neck and back, in addition to emotional distress, the lawsuit states.
The grandfather suffered injuries to his neck, rib and hip, in addition to “severe emotional trauma,” the lawsuit states.
Wildwood spokesperson Alicia Deluca said the city does not comment on open litigations.
The lawsuit alleges that the police officer and department should have known the risk involved in putting a minor in the driver’s seat of a golf cart while simulating intoxication “because the very purpose of the demonstration was to illustrate the dangers of impaired driving.”
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