Neighbors react to two men killed in golf cart

Neighbors still searching for answers after two men and two dogs were killed while riding in a golf cart in Thousand Palms.

A single flower and candles mark the spot where the alleged speeding drunken driver hit the golf cart.

“I’m blown away. I’m glad it wasn’t me, I was there five minutes earlier in that same spot, driving down that same street,” said neighbor Peter Goller.

People spent the day driving up in golf carts to pay their respects, trying to make sense of what happened.

“Kind of a sick feeling really,” said John Pimm.

“It’s a safe community. It’s a nice community. You got to watch out when you go on the road. People have to slow down when you are driving cars, because there is a lot of golf carts out here,” said Goller.

Golf carts are a way of life at Tri Palm Estates, on the course and on the street.

“I think it was just a matter of time before something like this happened,” said neighbor Mark Gupton.

Jeff Dongvillo said he lived across the street to Ron Little, 76, one of the two men killed.

“Just good people, basic people,” said Dongvillo. “Good guy. Little hard of hearing, but a fixture-upper sort of guy. I’m not sure if they worked construction up in Canada, British Columbia is where they are from, but a nice guy.”

Dongvillo said he helped Little was getting his home ready to rent out for the season. It was money Little and his wife planned to use to pay the dog’s vet bills.

“They had one of their dogs last year have a major illness, so they had a big veterinary bill for that. So they were going to pay that off,” said Little.

It’s unclear if the dog who got sick last year was one of the two who were killed in Wednesday’s accident.

“This should never happen. There should never been enough speed traveling in this neighborhood. At such a speed that they are going to kill two people and their dogs as well. Yeah, it is difficult,” said Dongvillo.

“People have been driving faster around here for some time now. It’s kind of getting out of hand. This is the proof of it, I guess,” said Pimm.

A News Channel 3 camera caught a car driving the wrong way on a divided road in the community.

“They don’t want to have to go to the end of the block to turn around,” said Gupton. “Everyday, she comes down the wrong side of the street to come into her house.”

“I didn’t know (the victims) personally, but I feel for them,” said Goller.