Residents: Pedestrians on Mayport Road not safe

Co-worker says man hit crossing Mayport Road this week had just left work

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – A man who was hit crossing Mayport Road on Tuesday night remained in critical condition late Wednesday, and people in the neighborhood said the roadway is dangerous for pedestrians.

A little more than a year ago, a similar story turned deadly when a 19-year-old was hit and killed by an SUV while walking along Mayport Road.

Residents say it's happening too often.

Co-workers said the man hit Tuesday, who officials requested not be identified because his family has not yet been notified, worked at Domino's Pizza. They said he had just left work and was headed across the road to a convenience store when he was hit.

Paul Crandall said he was returning from delivering a pizza when he saw what had happened.

"He went home, and on my next delivery, which was probably 7 o'clock or so, I actually drove toward Plaza (Road), and I saw his body laying in the road there," Crandall said. "(I was) just devastated by that."

Police said it appears the man was illegally crossing Mayport Road when he was hit. Crandall said that's not uncommon.

"Since I work right there and I'm on Mayport Road 50 times a night, it's a very dangerous area because people congregate at that plaza all the time, people kind of loiter, not only at our plaza but the one right next door that has the convenience stores," Crandall said. "And it seems people are always hanging out."

Neighbors who heard about Tuesday's accident were not surprised, because another man was killed almost at the exact same spot around a year ago.

Ray Nielson is a longtime local who contacted News4Jax because he wants the public to know that the road is a problem, but not because of how it's designed -- because of all the people illegally crossing it.

"They'll have their bicycles, they'll be out there, and they'll ride into the intersection and then wait for a break coming the other way," Nielson said. "And sometimes you don't even see them until you see a silhouette from the another car's headlights."

Friends of the man hit Tuesday said the man has no brain function but is still on life support.


About the Author:

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.