2005 #2 Cart Runs Over Ball

THE SCENE:
You are playing hole #11. Your drive landed in the trees between hole #11 and hole #13. You can’t see your ball in the rough so you drive around through the trees while your partner searches on foot. Suddenly your partner holds up her hand and yells, “Wait!” You stop the cart but it’s too late. You have already run over your ball. The ball was pushed straight down into the ground.

What would you do?
A. There is no penalty because you moved your ball while you were searching for it.
B.  There is no penalty because you couldn’t see your ball. You play it as an embedded ball.
C. Take a one stroke penalty because your equipment caused your ball to move. Then place your ball in a similar lie.

C is correct. Look at Rule #18-2

Rule 18 Ball at Rest Moved
18-2. By Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment
a. General
When a player’s ball is in play, if:
the player, his partner or either of their caddies lifts or moves it, touches it purposely (except with a club in the act of addressing it) or causes it to move except as permitted by a Rule, or
equipment of the player or his partner causes the ball to move,  the player incurs a penalty of one stroke. If the ball is moved, it must be replaced

Since your equipment caused your ball to move, you incur a penalty of one stroke. Since the original lie of your ball was altered, you must place it in the most similar lie, within one club length. See 20-3b below:

Rule 20-3b. Lie of Ball to Be Placed or Replaced Altered
If the original lie of a ball to be placed or replaced has been altered:
(i) except in a hazard, the ball must be placed in the nearest lie most similar to the original lie that is not more than one club-length from the original lie, not nearer the hole and not in a hazard;

REMEMBER: If you run over your own ball with your golf cart, take a one stroke penalty and replace the ball. If the lie has been changed, place the ball in a similar lie.