The son of a prominent private equity firm founder found himself at the center of a harrowing incident after an alcohol-fueled joyride went horribly wrong. Garrett Huff’s adventurous antics left friends seriously injured at his family’s lavish $15 million Hamptons estate.

It all began on an August day last year, when 23-year-old Huff and his companions spent hours indulging in drinks at the beach. The day took a dark turn when Huff, in high spirits, invited John Mascali and Heather Dailey for a spin in a golf cart. What was meant to be a fun ride ended in disaster as the cart flipped, leaving both passengers with severe injuries.

Mascali and Dailey have since taken legal action, filing a lawsuit that accuses Huff of recklessly disregarding safety measures. According to the claim, both suffered significant trauma, including spinal fractures and a split skull, as a direct result of Huff’s reckless behavior.

In an emotional recount of the event, Mascali shared with the New York Post, “The only thing I really vividly remember was seeing Heather in a deformed position, with tons of blood leaking out of her head.” He added, “I thought she was likely dead. I just remember collapsing on my knees in front of her.”

‘I thought she was likely dead. I just remember collapsing on my knees in front of her.’

On August 3, 2024, Huff, allegedly ‘in pursuit of his reckless thrill-seeking,’ convinced Mascali and Dailey to join him for a trip to the beach in the golf cart, according to the suit obtained by the Daily Mail.  

‘After convincing them to join him for an evening trip to the beach, Garrett intentionally put his passengers at risk of serious injury. Instead of driving to the beach as agreed,’ the lawsuit stated.   

‘Garrett suddenly veered left, turning at full speed onto a roundabout where he attempted a dangerous stunt which pushed the vehicle to its tipping point…Garrett’s carelessness ended in wreckage all its own.’

Garrett Huff, 23, has been accused of negligence and gross negligence after allegedly drunkenly driving his friends in a golf cart and causing it to crash ‘in pursuit of his reckless thrill-seeking’

Heather Dailey, seen left, and John Mascali, seen right, were both alleged victims in the crash who suffered severe and life changing injuries due to Huff’s ‘carelessness’

Huff’s parents, Craig seen left and Jacqueline on the right, are accused of negligence and negligent entrustment after allegedly being aware of the dangerous activities of their son prior to the incident

The golf cart flipped, and its passengers were thrown out of the vehicle leaving Mascali unconscious, court documents claim. 

‘When [Mascali] regained consciousness, Plaintiff’s first thoughts were for his friends: Heather—also unconscious, blood streaming from her skull—and Garrett—who was uninjured,’ the suit said. 

Now fifteen months after the ordeal, Mascali continues to suffer the ‘lifelong consequences’ of the incident, including ‘the long-term impacts of a concussion, spinal fractures, and other trauma that have plagued him for months, and will continue to do so for years to come.’

Mascali, according to the complaint, continues to suffer from chronic pain, neurological symptoms, impaired mobility, and ‘a future of uncertainty.’

The suit claimed that Huff’s ‘reckless joyrides’ around his family’s sprawling estate were ‘a danger well-known to his parents’ and that Huff had previously injured other people. 

‘Yet Garrett’s parents allowed him to continue to use their golf cart as his personal toy, with no regard for the risks to others,’ court documents said, adding that the Huff’s had ‘evaded responsibility.’

The group had gone to the beach earlier that day before returning back to the Huff’s estate, where they played wine-pong in the basement of his parents’ 10-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot manse, the lawsuit stated. 

It wasn’t until their second time headed to the beach in the golf cart that disaster struck. Mascali, according to the suit, noted no indication that Huff was intoxicated and got in the cart with Huff and Dailey. 

Mascali seen on the right, according to the complaint, continues to suffer from chronic pain, neurological symptoms, impaired mobility, and ‘a future of uncertainty’

‘The route [to the beach] required a right turn onto the short path leading directly to the beach. But, to Plaintiff and Heather’s surprise, Garrett did not turn right. Instead, he made a rash, inexplicable, and, ultimately, tragic decision to turn left,’ according to court documents. 

‘Garrett, without warning and without the consent of his friends, took a sharp left, heading away from the beach and toward a nearby roundabout where he was fond of racing at top speeds—testing the bounds of physics and pushing the golf cart to its limits.’

According to the suit, the reckless scion had a ‘penchant’ for taking risks and ‘loved the thrill of of speeding through that curve, seeing how far he could push the vehicle before tipping over: a risk of which Garrett was fully aware.’

Huff had previously taken an ‘involuntary’ passenger around the roundabout, and Mascali said that Huff usually asked riders if they felt comfortable taking the risk in the cart. 

‘After [his] initial experience, Plaintiff recognized the danger inherent in this “roundabout stunt.” Therefore, whenever Garrett again asked Plaintiff if he would like to speed through the roundabout, Plaintiff would decline the invitation. Had Garrett asked Plaintiff for permission on the evening of August 3, Plaintiff would have refused to take such a risk,’ the suit stated. 

Huff had allegedly, and without warning, slammed his foot onto the accelerator, giving his passengers little chance to react before the cart took flight and slammed them into the ground. 

While his friends were taken to hospital with serious and terrifying injuries, Huff stayed behind at his parents’ home ‘unscathed’ from the accident, the suit claims. 

His father, Craig Huff, launched private equity firm Reservoir Capital in 1998, according to the Post. 

The Huff’s also own an $11 million apartment made up of the entire sixth floor, featuring 15 rooms, just across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Huff’s father, Craig Huff seen on the right with his wife, launched private equity firm Reservoir Capital in 1998

Huff’s mother, Jacqueline, was featured in a New York Times piece titled Closets as Big as Some Apartments, where she bragged about spending $200,000 converting a bedroom to a dressing room. 

The pair own an $11 million apartment made up of the entire sixth floor, featuring 15 rooms, just across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Post reported. 

Huff’s parents, according to the complaint, then ‘took swift action’ to ‘cover up’ their son’s behavior. 

‘They disposed of the golf cart and any evidence of the accident, intentionally erasing crucial proof of their son’s misconduct in a calculated attempt to shield him—and themselves—from accountability,’ the complaint stated. 

Mascali was left bedridden, unable to participate in a paid internship and forced to use a walker and a cane, according to the suit. 

Huff has been accused of negligence and gross negligence, while his parents have been accused of negligent entrustment and negligence. 

The complaint calls for a jury trial and is seeking damages as well as any further relief deemed necessary by the court.