ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Three people were killed and five others were injured early Saturday morning in a head-on collision of a pickup truck and an SUV on State Road 13, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers believe a pickup truck heading south on SR-13 just after 1 a.m. veered out of its lane and hit a northbound SUV near the Shands Bridge. Seven people from Pompano Beach were inside that SUV, three of which were juveniles.
According to the FHP preliminary report, a man and two women were killed, two other people were critically injured and another three suffered serious injuries.
The driver of the pickup, a 21-year-old from St. Augustine, was among those hospitalized with critical injuries.
According to FHP, five people were not wearing seatbelts, including one that was killed. A 2-year-old girl who was not restrained was critically injured.
All lanes of State Road 13 were blocked just north of the Shands Bridge for hours Saturday morning. Lanes have reopened in the area.
A woman contacted News4Jax saying the family who lost the three loved ones in the crash has a GoFundMe account set up to help pay for funeral costs.
According to News4Jax records, at least one person has died in a crash every day in the last week. Three of the deadly crashes involved drivers crossing lanes into oncoming traffic or changing lanes:
- 4/10: Clay County: A car crossed lanes causing a head-on collision on County Road 218. A man was arrested.
- 4/11: Bradford County: 1 person died at the scene in a crash on State Road 16.
- 4/12: Duval County: A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on E-Town Parkway.
- 4/13: Duval County: A pedestrian was killed in a crash at Beaver and Devoe in Jacksonville.
- 4/14: Duval County: A motorcyclist was killed on I-95 north just before the Fuller Warren Bridge.
- 4/15: Nassau County: A Georgia man died in a crash on I-95 near the state line.
- 4/15: A pedestrian was hit multiple times and died at the scene in a crash on Atlantic Boulevard at Anniston Road.
- 4/15: Putnam County: A 44-year-old pick-up truck driver lost control on Country Road 310 and was killed in a single-vehicle crash.
- 4/16: Bradford County: A 73-year-old injured in a four-car pile-up on U.S. 301 later died.
- 4/17: St. Johns County: Three killed in crash in State Road 16.