An employee of a vendor at the PGA Championship was struck and killed by a shuttle bus Friday morning near the front entrance of Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., according to a statement from the PGA of America.
“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.”
Officers were called to the scene around 5 a.m. ET and found a man was hit by an eastbound traveling shuttle bus in the center lane dedicated to buses. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s name has not been released.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg released a statement on social media saying that LMPD is investigating the incident and “we hope to have more answers soon.”
“This is a tragic morning and our thoughts are with the family of the individual lost – may their memory be a blessing. Unfortunately a shuttle bus struck this individual while walking, resulting in their death. LMPD is investigating what took place and we hope to have more answers soon. We are also working to provide counseling services to those PGA volunteers who were on the bus during this incident.”
Scottie Scheffler arrest
The resulting traffic from the fatal crash around the entrance to Valhalla led to an incident involving Scottie Scheffler and a police officer that ended with the world’s No. 1 player being detained and arrested.
Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. The charges include two misdemeanors, one violation and one felony (second-degree assault of a police officer). According to the police report, an officer was hospitalized after being “dragged” by Scheffler’s car and suffered “pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.”
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported that Scheffler drove about “10 to 20 yards” after being told to stop. Darlington said that Scheffler tried to explain that he did not know the man telling him to stop was a police officer. Darlington said that Scheffler did not raise his voice during the confrontation.
According to Darlington, the situation escalated rapidly, and Scheffler was loaded into a police vehicle. Darlington reported that a police officer told him, “There’s nothing you can do, he’s going to jail.” Darlington later reported that an officer asked him to identify Scheffler.
Steve Romines, an attorney representing Scheffler, told reporters that Scheffler held out his media credential and was entering the golf course as players had been instructed to.
Scheffler released a statement just before his 10:08 a.m. ET tee time saying that “there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. “Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
Scheffler is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, May 21 at 9 a.m. ET, according to court records.
Source Agencies
