A reckless escapade involving an underage driver takes an unexpected turn as a stolen golf car wreaks havoc at the Key West Golf Club.
In a bizarre and ill-fated turn of events, a 20-year-old resident of Key West found himself in handcuffs after Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies apprehended him behind the wheel of a stolen golf cart, displaying signs of intoxication. James Riley Jackson’s joyride quickly spiraled out of control when law enforcement received reports of a drunk driver operating a golf car at the Key Haven Shell station near Mile Marker 5 on U.S. 1.
Jackson was not alone in this escapade; accompanying him was 18-year-old Colton Ray Reid, hailing from Old Hickory, Tennessee. Reid faced serious charges of felony grand theft and property damage as a result of his involvement in the incident.
As police reports began to piece together the events of that fateful Saturday afternoon, a tale of vandalism and destruction emerged. It appeared that the two young men had left a trail of havoc, commencing their escapade at the local golf course on College Road and continuing northbound on the Overseas Highway towards the Boca Chica Bridge.
Jackson’s defense claimed they had rented the golf car and had permission to take it off the Key West Golf Club premises. However, their actions told a different story. The $16,500 tan Yamaha golf car Jackson was operating had sustained severe damage, with its front wheels pointing in opposite directions due to a mangled axle. The car’s body bore scars and was caked with mud, while the windshield was conspicuously absent.
Inside the car, authorities discovered a plastic bag containing two cans of the malt liquor beverage Twisted Tea, which Reid claimed belonged to Jackson. Curiously, a set of golf clubs was also found in the car, and Reid asserted that they had rented these from the golf club as well.
To further complicate matters, Jackson was in possession of a counterfeit South Carolina driver’s license that displayed his actual name but an altered birthdate, falsely indicating that he was of legal drinking age. On the other hand, Reid, who identified his occupation as “construction,” possessed his Tennessee learner’s permit.
Subsequently, Jackson, whose booking record listed him as a salesman, was taken into custody and faced a slew of charges, including DUI, larceny, vehicle theft, criminal mischief/property damage, possession of alcohol while underage, and possession of a fake ID, as stated by the sheriff’s office.
Both Jackson and Reid spent the night in jail, and they were released with no bond amount specified in the MCSO jail records. Despite attempts to contact Jackson for comment, no response was received, and it remains uncertain whether legal representation has been secured. Furthermore, the golf club had not responded to a message at the time of press.
The management of the Key West Golf Club expressed their intention to pursue charges in connection with the incident. An employee noted that they had received several complaints about Jackson and Reid driving the car recklessly before the DUI arrest, and that damage to a fence at the 14th hole had been reported. In their frantic search for the culprits and the stolen golf car, the golf club staff deployed the course ranger, but neither the individuals nor the car were located on the property. Only the golf cart’s windshield was found abandoned at the course, adding another layer of intrigue to this unusual tale of mischief and misadventure.
