JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 13-year-old boy was killed in a crash Wednesday night where Interstate 95 intersects with Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
According to the Highway Patrol, a red Chevrolet Monte Carlo was traveling south in the left lane of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway when the driver tried to cross traffic to get onto the I-95 northbound on-ramp and a black Jeep Cherokee collided with it.
All three people inside the Chevrolet were taken to UF Health Jacksonville.
Passenger Dylan Iszard, 13, died at the hospital, troopers said.
A second passenger, Christopher Iszard, 11, was critically injured. Dylan's father, Dylan Iszard, 42, was driving the Chevrolet and was seriously injured, according to the Highway Patrol.
The FHP report said all three people were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
The 17-year-old driver of the Jeep and a 2-year-old passenger were taken to UF Health with minor injuries, troopers said.
News4Jax learned that the younger Dylan attended Mayport Middle School, where grief counselors were made available to students on Thursday.
Dylan’s mother said he was passionate about wrestling and was on a team in Jacksonville Beach called “The Beach Rat.” He would’ve turned 14 on Nov. 20.
She told News4Jax on Friday that Christopher and her husband were released from the hospital and were able to return home. The mother said Christopher and Dylan were very close.
The family is working on funeral arrangements.
Dangerous intersection?
A multi-vehicle accident with injuries on MLK Parkway at the I-95 ramp Thursday highlights motorists' complaints about the intersection. Drivers told News4Jax there’s a visibility problem between cars going in opposite directions.
"This intersection hasn’t been good in five or six years," said Ager Kerford, who was injured in a previous crash at the location.
Janet Powell had to be cut out of her crushed car in February after a crash at the same spot.
"My door was jammed and I couldn’t move," Powell said. "(My) whole left side was in pain."
Powell's knees and feet that are still swollen and she could barely stand when speaking with News4Jax Thursday about Wednesday night's fatal crash.
"They really need to do something about it. Put a light up there (or) something, because these people are not yielding to the right of way of traffic and (are) causing all these accidents," Powell said.
A Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson said Friday that he doesn't know of any design problems with the intersection, but traffic engineers are studying the accidents.