ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A teenage boy is awake and talking after falling off of the back of a golf cart in the Durbin Crossing subdivision.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said there were six children on the golf cart when someone set off a firework and Luke Tabor hit his head on the road. The 14-year-old’s friends told News4Jax he got startled and jumped off the back of the cart.
Tabor was listed in good condition at Wolfson Children’s Hospital as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. That's a big improvement from when he was flown to the hospital Tuesday evening in critical condition before being placed in a medically-induced coma.
A friend of the family posted this update from Tabor’s mother on Facebook:
"Luke had a good night. He’s awake and talking and asking a lot of questions as he’s piecing together the events of the day. He’s still in considerable pain, though it’s being managed by medication. He just keeps saying, 'I never knew so many people cared about me,' when we share everyone’s encouragement with him. Please continue to pray for his recovery - so far, the outcome is nothing short of a miracle!”
News4Jax has learned the driver of the golf cart could be cited.
Deputies say the Durbin Crossing subdivision is not a neighborhood where golf carts are approved, like Palencia or Nocatee. In addition, the golf cart was traveling down North Durbin Parkway, which is a 30-mph roadway; a county law limits the use of golf carts to 25-mph roads.
The Sheriff’s Office said this latest incident is the third golf cart-related accident involving a head injury so far this year.
"I couldn’t believe it," said Kathy Borsody about Tuesday’s incident. Her daughter, Olivia Love, was seriously hurt in a January golf cart accident and is currently in intensive speech therapy in the Tampa area. The teen has made massive strides with aphasia in the past several months, and has since relearned how to walk and talk -- always with a smile on her face.
"It’s going to be a really long journey, but she is doing awesome," Borsody said. "She works really, really hard. She is in this intense program, it is five days a week, five hours a day and then she also does regular speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy at Brooks Rehabilitation."
Her family is sending prayers to Tabor and his family as he recovers.
News4Jax spoke with one of Tabor's friends who was on the golf cart with him Tuesday. He said his friend is doing a lot better and he was able to visit him at the hospital.