On 21 February 2024, a 33-year-old Singaporean woman went go-karting at Golden City Go Kart, Bengkong, Batam, Indonesia, as reported by IDN Times.
Golden City Go Kart has been operating for several years. Unlike the indoor go-kart tracks that most of us are used to, this track is outdoors, with lanes formed by tires arranged on asphalt ground.
Batam Excursion notes that Golden Kart’s go-karts are not very fast and its layout is simple, featuring just four cornering zones. In fact, some visitors have complained in reviews that the karts were too slow and that the track was too boring.
Despite this, not all reviews were bad, and the victim decided to go to this track.
The victim had reportedly made just two laps around the go-kart track before crashing into a barrier at high speed at around 3:30pm, Indonesia time.
Given that their karts are supposedly slow, it is unknown how the victim managed to crash at a high speed.
Several witnesses quickly approached the victim and noticed she was already unconscious. Her helmet had also been pulled off.
The victim allegedly did not use a hair net as advised by the management, causing her long hair to be entangled in the tires of the go-kart she was driving.
She was rushed to Budi Kemuliaan Clinic, where she reportedly died. After being declared dead, the victim’s body was taken to Budi Kemuliaan Hospital and was kept there until it was brought back to Singapore on 22 February 2024.
The incident is currently being investigated by local police.
The authorities will take action against the responsible party if there is any negligence, Detik reported.
“Every such operator when carrying out his duties must supervise and manage the places visited by tourists.”
This isn’t the first time Golden City Go Kart has had an accident.
Just two months ago, on 31 December 2023, a visitor left a bad review on Golden Kart’s page on Tripadvisor.
In the review, a woman warns others to avoid Golden Kart as her daughter’s kart caught fire while she was still in it.
Reviews by other visitors reveal that the equipment used at Golden Kart are substandard and are not maintained. Several karts have reportedly broken down multiple times, and a few buckles are broken.
