Wildwood faces lawsuit after child crashes police DUI-simulation golf cart, injuring spectators
A lawsuit accuses the City of Wildwood and its police department of negligence after an 11-year-old lost control of a golf cart during a drunk-driving demonstration, injuring several bystanders.
On Aug. 6, 2024, during a National Night Out event in Wildwood, police organized a drunk-driving simulation using a golf cart fitted with impairment goggles. An 11-year-old driver, with Officer Jonathan Goraj in the passenger seat, accelerated and lost control, crashing through a cone-lined course on the outfield of the Fox Park baseball field. The collision injured several bystanders, including Christopher Hines and members of the Galambos family from Ohio.
The plaintiffs filed a lawsuit on Aug. 5, 2026 in Cape May County Superior Court, asserting that the city and its police department should have foreseen the danger of allowing a minor to operate the vehicle under simulated intoxication. The complaint also names the National Night Out organization, which runs the event, as a defendant. Injuries reported range from neck, back and leg damage to a collapsed lung and concussion, along with emotional distress. The city has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
