SUV leaves road, hits utility pole; driver dies

Police say medical condition may have contributed to single-vehicle crash

Published On: Aug 30 2012 04:29:26 PM EDT   Updated On: Aug 17 2012 04:56:03 PM EDT
Lakeshore @ Cedar Wood fatal crash
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

The driver of a Jeep Liberty died Friday morning after the SUV left Lake Shore Boulevard near Cedarwood Road and struck a pole.

The driver, 61-year-old Harley Rountree, died at the hospital.

"He hit two mailboxes and a street sign," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office homicide Sgt. Donald Washington Jr. said. "He crossed back over the street ... continued forward, struck a tree and a power pole."

Police said it appears Rountree suffered from a medical emergency, which caused him to lose control of his vehicle just after 8 a.m.

Lake Shore Boulevard remained closed until 10 a.m., as the crash was cleared and JEA crews repaired damage to the pole.

  • Copyright 2012 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.