DALTON, Ga. — Members of the Dalton City Council Monday night were set to allow personal transportation vehicles (PTVs) to be operated on the streets of the Windemere subdivision in the northern part of the city. But news of a Sunday golf cart wreck that left a Northwest Whitfield High School student seriously injured caused council members to vote 4-0 to table that resolution until they learn more about what happened.

Mayor Dennis Mock typically votes only in the event of a tie.

“I just found out about the accident around 2:30 (Monday afternoon),” said council member Denise Wood, who made the motion to table the item. “I just think it would be prudent to find out more about what happened and see if we need to make any changes to our ordinance.”

Council member Gary Crews said he also had only found out about the wreck late Monday afternoon.

“We want to find out exactly what happened and why,” he said.

According to a trooper with the Georgia State Patrol, four juveniles were on a golf cart that wrecked Sunday evening around 6:40 on Charolais Trail in the Highland Forest subdivision in north Whitfield County. According to Trooper Cody Cantrell, the golf cart fell over on its side after the driver lost control. Three of the juveniles had minor injuries but one was thrown from the golf cart and suffered a head injury. Audrey Grace Holder was flown by a Life Force helicopter to Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga.

PTVs are essentially golf carts but by law must have a number of safety features — seat belts, headlights, turn signals, etc. — that aren’t necessarily found on golf carts used on golf courses.

The state legislature changed the law a couple of years ago to allow PTVs to be operated on city streets if a city OKs them, subject to certain limitations. PTVs can’t be operated on federal highways, state roads or heavily-trafficked cross streets. They can only be operated on residential streets with speed limits of no more than 25 mph.

Residents of the Windemere subdivision were the first to request to be allowed to operate PTVs in their neighborhood.

Council members also voted 4-0 to:

• Approve a $28,000 contract with Evergreen Solutions of Florida for consulting services as the city reviews its compensation system.

• Approve a $6,504 contract with EMCOR of Smyrna for maintenance of the heating and air conditioning system in City Hall.

• Renew the equitable sharing agreement with the federal Justice Department and Treasury Department that allows the city police department to take part in the federal asset forfeiture program, which provides the department a portion of any assets seized by federal law enforcement in cases in which the department participates. The department received $24,968 from this program last year.

The council also recognized Bart Chandler as the Dalton Police Department officer of the year. Chandler is the school resource officer at Dalton High School and he was cited for his response to a teacher, Randal Davidson, firing a gun at the school on Feb. 28, 2018. Chandler helped talk Davidson into surrendering.

“Without Officer Chandler’s relationship with the people he works with, negotiations with the barricaded subject wouldn’t have been successful,” said the citation. “Because of Officer Chandler’s understanding voice and listening ear, the barricaded subject gave up peacefully without any injury to him, the students, staff, or the officers on scene. Officer Chandler is a natural leader and took control of a dangerous situation and ended it peacefully.”