JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police cruisers were involved in two separate crashes Tuesday evening, and in one of those crashes someone was hurt when an officer failed to stop at a stop sign, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
At about 7 p.m., an officer was involved in a crash on Yacht Club Road, the Sheriff's Office said. The officer, who was on routine patrol, failed to stop at the intersection of Yacht Club Road and Ortega Boulevard.
"I ran outside with one shoe to help the people. Two babies in the back seat were in car seats and seatbelts. That really saved them. They were terrified, of course," said Asher Gavronsky, a witness.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the officer struck a vehicle traveling north on Ortega Boulevard. The officer was not hurt, but a passenger in the other car was taken to the hospital for treatment.
"With a median split, it comes up so fast that if you're not from this area or aware of it, you can just cart on through it," Gavronsky said.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the other crash happened around 5:30 p.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue. The officer was responding to a call for assistance from another officer.
While going around the turn, the officer collided with another vehicle, the Sheriff's Office said. The officer was not injured, and the driver of the other car was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
The crash blocked two eastbound lanes of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, and two northbound lanes of Myrtle Avenue were diverted to 19th Street.
By News4Jax record, there have been at least 12 crashes involving Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police cruisers in 2019. In addition to the two crashes reported Tuesday evening, they include:
- March 31: Officer hurt in crash on Park Street