I-95 reopens 5½ hours after overnight fatal crash

Wrong-way wreck involved 2 cars and big rig that struck guard rail

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Workers will continue to repair a barrier on I-95 near Emerson after it was struck by a semi that was involved in a deadly, wrong-way crash early Wednesday morning.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says one northbound lane of I-95 at the San Diego Road overpass will be closed Wednesday and Thursday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for emergency bridge repairs due to Wednesday morning's crash.

A 46-year-old man driving south in the northbound lane of Interstate 95 about 1:40 a.m. Wednesday died in a crash that involved another car and a big rig that kept all the northbound lanes of the highway closed for 5½ hours.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Jimmy Carracter, of Jacksonville, was driving a Lexus south just before the Emerson Street exit when he struck a Honda Civic northbound in the center lane.  The Lexus spun around and was then struck by an car carrier, which left the travel lanes and hit and damaged the guard rail near San Diego Road.



Carracter was transported to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, where he died.  The driver of the Honda, Lauren Conville, 24, sustained minor injuries.  Her passenger and the driver of the car carrier were not injured.

"My understanding is the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office had several calls in reference to a vehicle traveling southbound in northbound (lanes), and they were attempting to intercept at the time of the crash," said FHP Sgt. Dylan Bryan.

Troopers say blood-alcohol tests on Carracter are pending.

All northbound lanes of I-95 in that area were blocked until about 7:20 a.m.