Coverage spread: 3 sources — 3 unrated
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- A golf cart carrying three children on a bench seat rolled over late Saturday night near New River Road and Saddle Mountain Road.
- The cart was being driven by a family member at the time of the crash.
- One child died from injuries; the conditions of the other two children were not disclosed.
- The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says the cause of the rollover remains under investigation.
Where they differ
- ABC15 places the crash east of Anthem, while AZFamily places the same intersection just west of Anthem.
- 12 News frames the location simply as Phoenix, while ABC15 and AZFamily specify the New River community north of the city.
- AZFamily explicitly notes the deceased child’s age and sex have not been released; ABC15 does not address this detail.
- 12 News offers only a single-sentence summary with no additional details, while ABC15 and AZFamily provide fuller accounts of the circumstances.
A child died late Saturday night after a golf cart carrying three children rolled over on residential property near New River Road and Saddle Mountain Road in the New River area, north of Phoenix, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The cart was being driven by a family member when it flipped for reasons still under investigation.
What happened that night?
Just after 11 p.m. Saturday, first responders were called to a report of a golf cart that had rolled over on a residential property in the New River area, a north Valley community near New River Road and Saddle Mountain Road, described by outlets as either east or west of Anthem. Sheriff’s officials say three minor children were sitting together on a single bench seat of the golf cart while a family member drove. At some point the cart rolled over. One child died from injuries suffered in the crash; the conditions of the other two children have not been made public.
Who was the child who died?
That has not been disclosed. Neither the child’s age nor sex had been released as of the latest reporting, and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has not named the driver or clarified that person’s relationship to the children beyond confirming it was a family member.
What caused the rollover?
That is still unknown. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says the cause of the rollover remains under investigation, and none of the available reports specify factors such as speed, terrain, or mechanical issues.
Why the location has been described differently
Coverage varies slightly on exactly where this happened. ABC15 places the crash in a neighborhood near New River Road and Saddle Mountain Road, east of Anthem, while AZFamily describes the same intersection as just west of Anthem. Both agree the crash occurred on residential property in the broader New River community, a rural stretch of the north Valley between Phoenix and Anthem. A separate 12 News report, citing the same sheriff’s office information, refers to the crash simply as happening in Phoenix, reflecting the New River area’s location within unincorporated Maricopa County near the city’s outer edges.
Why this matters
Golf carts and other low-speed vehicles are common in rural and suburban Arizona neighborhoods, often used informally by families for short trips within gated or residential communities. Because they typically lack seatbelts, roll cages, or other crash protections found in standard vehicles, rollovers can be especially dangerous for children riding on open bench seats. This incident is likely to renew attention on golf cart safety in residential settings, though officials have not yet indicated whether any policy or enforcement response is expected. The investigation into the exact cause remains open, and no additional details about charges or citations have been reported.
Sources
Featured photo: Marine 69-71 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)