Driver cited in fatal Mathews Bridge crash

39-year-old knocked off bridge, killed in April

Vernon Stephens and his family

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The driver in the crash that knocked a man off the Mathews Bridge in April, killing him, has been cited for careless driving.

According to a police report, Henry Lee Curtis, 31, was going 65 mph in a 45 mph zone in the crash that killed 39-year-old Vernon Stephens.

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Stephens' body was found three days in the Trout River.

According to the police report, Curtis was "inattentive."

Police said Stephens' red Mitsubishi Galant broke down on the westbound side of the bridge, then was hit by another car. They said his car was found with the hood up, and another car slammed into the back of it.

Curtis was arrested in 2012 on drug charges.

Stephens was a father of two, and he and his wife were soon to celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary.