Car hits Sherwood Forest home, sparks fire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A car hit a house in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood and ignited a fire on Monday, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

It happened during the early morning hours on Spottswood Road, just north of Soutel Drive. Neighbors took video of the fire, showing the car wedged underneath a bedroom window.

JFRD said no one was hurt.

Bryant Hicks wasn’t home at the time, but six of his family members were.

“I got a call from the neighbors, from my mom about what happened. They were in there, asleep, so they don’t really know too much about what happened, but they just heard a loud boom and they seen the fire,” Hicks explained.

Neighbors said firefighters arrived within minutes and everyone got out safely.

Inside the house, one of the family rooms was charred.

“Luckily, there wasn’t anyone in there. My two younger nephews use to be inside that room at all times,” Hicks said. “Good thing they weren’t in there because the whole room got torched.”

News4Jax asked if Hicks knew anything about the driver, and he said he believes the driver must have been speeding around the curve outside the home.

“Everybody comes around this corner pretty fast,” he said. “It’s a norm.”

Even during the interview with Hicks, News4Jax cameras captured a driver speeding around the curve.

The home has water and electrical damage, and Hicks and his family are going to have to stay somewhere else.

He said it’s a tragic situation.

“You never know when somethings going to happen,” Hicks said.

But he’s grateful everyone lived through it.

News4Jax reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to see how many accidents have happened on this street but had not heard back as of Monday afternoon.

The speed limit is 30, and there’s a sign letting people know the road is about to curve. Neighbors told News4Jax that they would rather have speed bumps, more signage and lights to get people to slow down.