Villager involved in aggressive golf cart driving incident in 2023 faces new drunk driving charges

A villager who was arrested last year in an incident of aggression behind the wheel of a golf cart has ended up back behind bars for drunk driving.

Sheldon Scott Engstrom, 60, who lives in Hammock Village in Fenney, was arrested Friday at the Sumter County Detention Center on a charge of driving while under the influence. He was arrested by Wildwood police and released on $1,000 bail.

In September, Engstrom pleaded no contest to assault and resisting arrest charges in Sumter County District Court. He was placed on one year of probation and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service, complete anger management training, and write an apology letter.

Egstrom was driving his golf cart on the golf cart path near the Okahumpka Recreation Center around 7:30 p.m. on June 19 when he apparently lost patience with the line of golf carts in front of him, according to a Wildwood police arrest report. Egstrom managed to pass the other golf carts, but then stopped at a stop sign and tried to wave some of the golf carts past him. A woman in a golf cart indicated she did not want to pass him, and the Washington native “began yelling and screaming at her,” the report states.

Engstrom got out of his golf cart and began walking “aggressively” toward a man’s golf cart. The man said Engstrom began chest-bumping him and the man punched Engstrom in self-defense. He told Engstrom to leave him alone and asked “what the hell was wrong with him,” the report said.

Engstrom began yelling at another woman and threatened to hit her. The man told Engstrom to “just leave,” and Engstrom responded by “aggressively pushing him in the chest,” after which the man hit Engstrom again. The report states Engstrom began calling 911 and threatened the other man with arrest. Engstrom fled the scene in his golf cart.

A police officer went to Engstrom’s home at 3813 Zenkto St. in reference to the 911 call, but had already received information about the altercation that had occurred on the golf cart path, including a description of Engstrom. The officer arrived at the home and ordered Engstrom to step outside, but he refused and slammed the door. The officer attempted to open the door, but Engstrom apparently held it closed. Engstrom eventually allowed the officer to enter the home, but refused to place his hands behind his back. He resisted attempts to handcuff him.

The Villages Public Safety Department was called to the scene to investigate dried blood on Engstrom’s mouth. Engstrom told paramedics that the man in the other golf cart did not like that he had tried to pass him.