PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida — A man arrested on a DUI manslaughter charge after an April incident on a golf cart police said he drove, no longer is being held criminally liable for a passenger’s death, according to records and a prosecutor this week.
John Scott Hehr, 53, of Spring, Texas, was arrested April 27 by Port St. Lucie police following the incident at the Floridian National Golf Club, according to records and police.
Hehr was driving a golf cart and passenger Christopher Edward Cipra, 34, of Houston, Texas, fell off and died.
Hehr was arrested on a felony DUI manslaughter charge, but Assistant State Attorney Spencer Scott in an interview this week said he filed a lesser misdemeanor DUI charge.
Police said an initial investigation revealed three people “left the clubhouse in a golf cart and were traveling back to a residence in the community,” a release states.
“The golf cart went over a raised manhole cover, causing the victim who was standing in the rear of the golf cart to fall off and hit the roadway,” police stated.
Scott said there was no evidence Hehr drove recklessly, swerving or jumping curbs or anything like that. Scott also noted a lack of physical evidence of a crash.
“There’s really no physical evidence at all of any type of accident,” Scott said. “The victim was on the back … of the golf cart standing and fell off.”
Scott said prosecutors didn’t think they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hehr’s “driving pattern contributed to the victim falling off the cart and passing away.”
“I believe that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was driving under the influence,” Scott said.
Scott said the three on the cart are thought to be work acquaintances or friends.
Investigators reported noting a strong smell of an alcoholic beverage, and indicated Hehr “was unable to stand still and appeared to be stumbling slightly,” records state.
According to police, Hehr’s eyelids appeared “slightly droopy,” and his eyes were bloodshot. He declined to participate in field sobriety exercises.
Hehr also declined to give a blood sample, but police told him state law allows one to be taken without his consent. He was taken to Tradition Medical Center.
The Floridian, off Northwest Gilson Road near Southeast Becker Road, is an exclusive golf community in St. Lucie and Martin counties. President Barack Obama played there at least three times while in office, beginning in 2013.
According to a search warrant application, Hehr and the other passenger said they were drinking beer while playing golf and met at the clubhouse for dinner and additional cocktails. The passenger said he bought $170 in tequila shots for 17 friends at dinner with them.
St. Lucie County Fire District officials took Cipra to Tradition Medical Center in Port St. Lucie where he was pronounced dead.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm, part of the USA Today Network. Follow Will on Twitter @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com