JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4JAX on Friday obtained two 911 calls from a crash involving three vehicles Tuesday in Jacksonville that left one person dead and sent seven others to area hospitals.
A family member also confirmed the woman who died in the crash was Monroe Atkins, 26.
In the first 911 call, the caller tells the dispatcher says the crash is blocking Edgewood Avenue West at Raines Vikings Way. After the dispatcher asks the woman how many cars are involved, she says, “That car looks -- Lord have mercy!”
In the second 911 call, the caller tells the dispatcher there are three cars involved and then she says to someone with her, “He got to get the babies! Oh, my God!”
The dispatcher asks how many people are injured. She says, “One, two, three, four five, maybe six.” Then, to one of the victims, she says, “Sit down baby, sit down.”
The dispatcher asks if anyone is pinned. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!” she replies. “Two people are.” She says those two are breathing but not awake. Then she tells the dispatcher the first Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department units are on scene.
According to Lt. Nassim Mana, with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, three people in a Ford Fusion were heading south on Raines Vikings Way, attempting to cross Edgewood Avenue West, about 5 p.m. Tuesday.
“When they crossed, they ran the stop sign. At that time, they struck an oncoming vehicle, a Nissan Altima occupied by four passengers,” Mana said.
He said as a result of the crash, the Altima collided with a Cadillac SUV. According to Mana, a passenger in the Fusion died, and the driver of the Fusion and the driver of the Cadillac sustained life-threatening injuries. The other people involved, Mana said, had minor injuries.
A memorial has been placed at the scene of the crash. A crash report reveals the driver of the car that ran the stop sign was 24.
Vicki Jones, who lives in the area, heard the collision. She said she’s had concerns about the roadway for years.
“I would like to see a red light there. I think that would help a whole lot,” she said.
A teenager who was involved in the crash told News4JAX that he lost consciousness during the collision and remembers waking up shortly after it happened. Christopher Ford said it was a typical day at Raines High School, and after tennis practice, he ordered a Lyft ride home. He told News4Jax he was in the car that investigators said ran a stop sign, just a block away from the school, and then the collision occurred. The next thing the 17-year-old remembers is waking up on Edgewood Avenue. Ford said his back hurts, but he expects to make a recovery.
Lyft told News4JAX that it’s looking into the crash and on Friday sent the following statement:
“Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and we are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life. We have reached out to the family members of those involved to offer our support, and stand ready to assist law enforcement however we can.”
It’s unclear if the driver who ran the stop sign is facing charges.