JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After being sent to the hospital, a man is recovering from being struck by a Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department pickup truck downtown.
A surveillance camera at a nearby business captured what happened early Friday morning. It was dark outside, and the video shows the man walking in the crosswalk at the intersection of Julia and Forsyth streets.
Steven Stolter, the man who was struck, said he had the right of way, and the video appears to confirm his claim. After he was struck, the driver of the truck is seen immediately getting out and rendering aid.
“I woke up a little bit later, and I was laying down. My back was sore. I had a puddle of blood,” Stolter said.
The estimated speed at the time of the crash was 5 mph, according to the crash report.
Stolter said he was hospitalized from Friday morning to Monday afternoon. He said he spent one day in the intensive care unit.
Stolter said he has been homeless for the last five years after his landlord sold her house. He worked as a landscaper for twenty years before he ended up on the streets.
Stolter said he works different jobs downtown whenever he has the opportunity. Most recently, he has been working as a dishwasher at a local restaurant.
“Even though he is homeless, he is one of the most optimistic and positive people you would ever meet in your entire life. The only thing in life that this man cares about is taking care of his disabled little brother,” said Chaplain Scott Shubert, who met Stolter through his job downtown.
Schubert created an online account to raise money to help pay for medical expenses.
“He doesn’t panhandle. He works very hard, actually, and now I’m very concerned because he can’t do that because of his injuries for probably a month or two months while he recovers. So he has nothing and now he has less than that,” Shubert continued.
When asked for comment, a JFRD spokesperson told News4Jax the department could not comment because the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the incident. JFRD is also conducting its own internal investigation.
“I just have to be positive because I know, in the end, the aches and pains are going to go away,” Stolter said. “I just have to unfortunately take the time to heal up and rest and get better.”