Golfer injured, driver arrested after car careens through Billy Caldwell Golf Course with enraged man behind wheel
By
,
A 70-year-old golfer was injured when an enraged driver careened onto the Billy Caldwell Golf Course Monday evening in Chicago's Forest Glen neighborhood, police said.
Cook County Forest Preserve Police, who responded to the incident, said the motorist drove a black sport-utility vehicle erratically onto the course around 5:30 p.m.
Ed Waters was playing on the course at the time.
"He's weaving in between trees, flying down fairways, driving on greens," said Waters. "I finished on a green with tire tracks on it."
It was Waters' first time at the Northwest Side course, and his first time seeing such a sight.
"I ran as close as I could to the car coming close, because I it was coming close to us, but I took cover behind a tree just so I can get a good look at the guy," said Waters, "and the guy was gnashed-teeth, raged, like, fist clenched on the wheel. Just like, a very unsettling countenance."
Waters was golfing with friends when he heard the car starting to do laps at the course.
"I glanced up from my tee shot, and there is a black SUV flying down the fairway," he said.
As the police were called, an employee trailed the SUV in another vehicle, trying to stop the reckless driver.
"This poor employee, he's driving like a little gray sedan, chasing this big SUV," Waters said. "He's trying to pit maneuver this guy. He's yelling at golfers: 'Please get out of the way!' His voice is cracking."
Waters said the driver eventually got out of the car with a knife in his hand, only to be approached by another player who tried to help.
"This guy grabbed two stakes and he was swinging them, swinging them like nunchakus, at the guy. Then the dude with the knife kinda backed off," he said.
Police said the SUV struck a golfer on the fifth hole. The victim was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he remained hospitalized in the intensive care unit Tuesday.
"The yells of you know, like, 'Someone call an ambulance!" you could hear them clearly," said Waters.
The golf course is part of the Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve.
Chicago police confirmed the incident and that Forest Preserve police were the responding officers.
Video taken by other golfers on the course showed a large police presence both on the course itself and in the parking lot, with an EMS response for the injured golfer.
The driver was taken into custody and charges are pending, police said. Police did not give further details about what led to the car careening onto the course.
The identity of the victim or further details about his condition have not yet been released.
