Young father killed in ATV crash in Clay County

It was the 2nd tragic ending to a crash for the Sommise family

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – A 25-year-old Jacksonville man died late Tuesday night in an ATV crash in Clay County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said Daniel Sommise and a 21-year-old Middleburg man were riding an ATV south on Beecher Lane in Orange Park when the vehicle flipped at Crossing Boulevard.

Both men were thrown from the ATV, and Sommise died at the scene from his injuries, troopers said.

This is the second tragic ending to a crash for the Sommise family. Daniel Sommise's 14-year-old sister, Jordan, was killed in a pickup truck crash in 2012.

"God needed an angel that -- Jordan was a country-talking lady and would talk your ears off, and I think God's thinking right now, 'Why did he take this one?' Because they have not stopped chatting since she's been up there," father Duane Sommise told News4Jax six years ago. 

Loved ones said Sommise leaves behind a 3-year-old son, a brother and his two parents. 

The other man on the ATV was seriously injured and was taken to Orange Park Medical Center, troopers said.

It's unclear which of the men was driving the ATV at the time or why the vehicle overturned.

Cary England heard the crash happen on Crossing Boulevard, next to his backyard. 

"That curve is pretty dangerous," said England, who has lived in his Wells Lake Estates home for 25 years. "Frequently, we see cars that don’t make the turn. You can see tread marks going up on the hill and they make it in the grass, some trees hit. But this is the first fatality we have seen."

Charges could be issued pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the report.

Troopers said neither man was wearing a helmet.

Sommise's friends have set up a GoFundMe account.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at Frazier Funeral Home at 8168 Normandy Blvd. The service will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at Old Plank Road Baptist Church at 8964 Old Plank Road, with interment following at Jacksonville Memory Gardens at 111 Blanding Blvd.


About the Author

Zachery “Zach” Lashway anchors KPRC 2+ Now. He began at KPRC 2 as a reporter in October 2021.

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