JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said one person died and another was critically hurt Saturday morning when a pickup truck carrying a trailer struck a Toyota Camry, and came to rest on top of the sedan, at a crash scene investigators described as “graphic.”
Sgt. Robert Hungerford of JSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit said that around 11:15 a.m., a Dodge 3500 pickup truck towing a large trailer loaded with two vehicles was headed eastbound on Edgewood Ave. West near the intersection of Lem Turner Rd. Investigators say the Dodge failed to stop and struck the rear of the Camry as well as a Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck, before coming to rest on top of the Camry.
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Members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department were able to extricate the driver of the Camry, who was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The passenger in the Camry died. JSO said the driver of the Ford was also taken to the hospital and was in stable condition. At the time of their briefing, investigators said it was possible that victims could still be trapped in one of the cars.
The driver of the Dodge was cooperating with investigators. Sgt. Hungerford said detectives were still working on exactly how the crash took place, and that the process could take some time. They were still trying to determine how fast the vehicles were traveling, but the sergeant said speed or braking is likely to play a factor, given how the Dodge went through the Camry, though it was pulling a trailer and heading downhill. Investigators are also trying to determine whether distraction may have played a role.
This was the 106th traffic fatality in Duval County this year.
As of 1:45 p.m., investigators said they expected to be at the scene for at least two more hours, and that drivers should try to avoid the intersection of Edgewood Ave. West and Lem Turner during that time.