Walt Disney World Guest Lands In ICU After Alleged Hit-And-Run Incident

A collision at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, located in Walt Disney World in Florida, early Friday morning left multiple victims seriously injured, and those involved are calling it anything but an accident.

They shared their story on Facebook, describing the hit-and-run as "terrifying" and "traumatic" before begging the public to help identify the driver who fled the scene at Walt Disney World.

According to Zin Santos, the incident occurred around midnight on Friday, November 29, near a 4-way stop at the entrance to the loops at Fort Wilderness. While Santos and their family were in a golf cart, a car approached aggressively, turned off its lights, then switched on high beams before striking the cart at high speed.

The impact was severe, ejecting the family from the golf cart. Santos was pinned underneath, suffering cuts, while another family member sustained a fractured leg that required surgery. Another relative was sent to the ICU with a potential brain bleed, and additional injuries were reported among the group.

The vehicle involved, described as either a Hyundai Genesis or Aston Martin, likely has noticeable damage from the collision. The driver fled the scene, and the victims are asking anyone with information about the car or its driver to contact law enforcement immediately.

Golf carts are a staple of the vacation experience for many guests at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, offering a fun and convenient way to navigate the sprawling property. However, they share the roads with limited vehicle traffic, creating unique safety considerations.

Visitors heading to places like the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue are typically directed to park near the entrance and take buses to Pioneer Hall. However, some vehicles are permitted on roadways to access cabins and campsites. Disney offers golf cart rentals to guests, and visitors with carts that meet Disney’s guidelines can also bring their own.

In the past, third-party companies provided feature-rich golf cart rentals with added safety features like LED light bars and seat belts—options that were often more robust than Disney’s standard rentals. However, such services are no longer available, leaving guests reliant on Disney’s carts or their personal vehicles.

This latest incident comes months after several incidents involving health and safety concerns were reported at Disney World.

On January 6, a 73-year-old man with a pre-existing condition lost consciousness after riding Spaceship Earth. Later that month, on January 13, a 63-year-old woman injured her leg while exiting the ride vehicle at Kilimanjaro Safaris Expedition, and on January 23, a 32-year-old woman lost consciousness while riding Space Mountain. The next day, a 70-year-old woman fell and injured her leg while loading into the Spaceship Earth attraction.

February also saw several incidents, including a 68-year-old woman with a pre-existing condition experiencing shortness of breath after riding Slinky Dog Dash on February 18. On February 27, a 29-year-old man with a pre-existing condition lost consciousness after riding the Summit Plummet thrill ride.

In March, a 44-year-old woman with a pre-existing condition suffered a seizure after riding Frozen Ever After. Additionally, on January 6, a 46-year-old woman reported head pain and nausea following a ride on TRON Lightcycle Run.

In July, a 23-year-old woman from Winter Garden tragically lost her life in a single-vehicle crash on a road within the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

The accident happened on Epcot Center Drive, south of Buena Vista Drive. An FHP crash report obtained by Click Orlando indicates that the woman was driving a 2024 Hyundai Tucson northbound on Epcot Center Drive when, for reasons still unknown, the SUV veered off the roadway to the left.

The vehicle entered the grassy median and continued northbound until the front left side collided with a traffic sign support pole, according to the report. Troopers confirmed that the woman was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

A man has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks, alleging that a ferry crash last year left him injured and thrown into a trash can, according to court records submitted on Monday.

The lawsuit states that in April 2023, Justin Tripp planned to spend the day at Magic Kingdom. He chose to take the “Richard F. Irvine” ferry from the parking lot to the park, but the ferry was allegedly “over-crowded,” forcing Tripp to stand near the stern.

“As the ferry approached the docking area of the Magic Kingdom, the ferry did not slow down,” the lawsuit claims. “The ferry struck the boat (dock) at an unsafe and high rate of speed, causing passengers to be thrown about, including (Tripp).” According to the lawsuit, no warnings were given to passengers before the collision, and one individual was reportedly knocked unconscious.

“The ferry and dock sustained visible damage during the allision or crash of the ferry into the Disney dock,” the court documents note. The lawsuit also describes how Tripp’s head and neck struck a steel pillar during the incident before he fell into a trash can—an event the lawsuit suggests may have prevented him from falling overboard.

Tripp is accusing Disney of negligence and is seeking more than $50,000 in damages for the injuries he sustained in the crash.