North Carolina toddler dead, six others injured in freak golf cart accident

A North Carolina toddler was killed and six of his relatives were injured after their golf cart hit a pothole and flipped over on Sunday, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Authorities received a call around 5:40 p.m. about the accident, which took place on a road just north of the Trump National Golf Club on Lake Norman.

"A golf cart was traveling north on Pintail Run Lane when it struck a pothole," Master Trooper Jeffrey Swagger said in a press release. "This caused a mechanical malfunction in the steering and the golf cart overturned. There were three adults and four children on the golf cart. All occupants were family members."

Two adults were sitting in the front of the golf cart while each holding 1-year-old boys at the time of the crash, Swagger said. The third adult was sitting in the back with two 3-year-old girls.

When the golf cart struck the pothole, everyone but the girls, who had on seat belts, were ejected from the vehicle, Swagger further added.

The victims were all taken to a nearby hospital, where Kipton Jesper, 1, was pronounced dead. Police do not expect to file any charges in the case.

Approximately one-third of the 33,000 traffic fatalities that occur in the U.S. each year are the result of poor road conditions, according to Pothole.info. In addition, just 31 percent of roads in the country are considered to be in good shape.