Video shows erratic driver nearly hitting wall on I-295

Man started recording the video after the erratic driver forced him off the road

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The driver of a silver sedan ran several people off the road Thursday on Interstate 295 around 7 p.m. And the scene was captured on video.

At one point, it appears the driver of that car was about to slam into a concrete barrier before almost hitting a semi-truck.

“It was a little late in the holiday so I’m hoping there were not many families on the road, but I just thought to myself, what if my girls were with me? This would be terrifying,” said Matt Robling, who recorded the video.

Robling said he started recording the video after the erratic driver forced him off the road along with at least three other drivers. He then called 911.

The video is two minutes long but Robling said he stayed behind the erratic driver for nearly 10 minutes as the driver crossed the Clay and Duval County line two times.

Robling said he tried to pass the erratic driver but the driver ran him off the road.

That’s when Robling started recording video of the silver car ahead of him as it fish-tailed in and out of the right lane – nearly slamming into a concrete barrier.

“As the individual followed that car, it was apparent the driver was impaired because his pattern of driving was the same. He didn’t maintain a single lane and he was over-correcting. He was all over the place. He was a danger to himself and as well as every other driver on the road that night," News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said Friday.

Jefferson said drivers who come across someone driving erratically should contact the police, give their location and stay behind the vehicle at a safe distance.

“Keeping a distance allows you to prevent being hit should the car in front of you continues to swerve in and out of lanes,” Jefferson said. “While you’re on the phone with police dispatch, describe the vehicle in question and give the operator your location. If you can clearly see the license plate, make sure the operator gets that information as well.”

Jefferson also said while you are on the phone, be sure to give the operator a play-by-play account of everything the driver is doing so there is a record of it.

Robling said he called 911 to report the driver and gave the operator a description of the car.

“The last person I was talking to asked what kind of car was it. I said a silver sedan then he said we’ll let officers in the area know,” he said.

While there is speculation on social media that the driver of that car was arrested by police, News4Jax has yet to be able to confirm if that is true.


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