SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Tragedy struck near The Villages late Friday night as a man and a woman lost their lives in a collision involving a golf cart, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The incident unfolded around 9:30 p.m. at a busy junction where County Road 109 meets U.S. 27 in Sumter County, authorities reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol detailed that the golf cart was operated by a 64-year-old man from Lady Lake, with a 58-year-old woman from The Villages accompanying him as a passenger.

The sequence of events leading to the fatal accident began when the golf cart, heading west on C.R. 109, failed to halt at a red light. This oversight placed the cart directly in the path of a southbound Kia Soul traveling on U.S. 27, according to official statements.

The impact was devastating, causing the golf cart to topple over. Both the driver and passenger sustained critical injuries and were later pronounced dead at a local hospital, as confirmed by troopers.

The 23-year-old Eustis woman who was driving the Kia was hospitalized for treatment of minor injuries, as was a 1-year-old Leesburg boy who was with her during the crash, according to FHP.