JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A pedestrian was killed Friday night in a crash on New Kings Road, marking Jacksonville’s 163rd traffic fatality and 36th pedestrian death of 2025, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The fatal collision occurred just after 6:30 p.m. on New Kings Road, about a half-mile south of I-295, when a northbound driver struck a man who was in the roadway, authorities said.
A witness who was driving several cars behind the incident described a violent impact that scattered debris across the road.
The witness, who called 911, said she stopped to help but found the victim had no pulse by the time she reached him.
She told News4JAX that the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Recent string of pedestrian fatalities
This latest death adds to a concerning trend of pedestrian-involved crashes in Jacksonville.
There have been over 460 crashes involving pedestrians in 2025 alone. Recent incidents include:
- A 72-year-old woman was killed on the Arlington Expressway on Christmas morning after attempting to cross through a gap in the fence.
- A teacher and his 1-year-old son were killed on Baymeadows Road in May by a driver now facing DUI manslaughter charges.
In Woodbine, Georgia, a 9-year-old girl was struck and killed by a car last week while playing outside.
Safety concerns
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney noted Jacksonville’s pedestrian crash numbers are unusually high compared to state trends.
“Jacksonville’s numbers this year in 2025 have just been so high... It’s a little bit of an odd phenomenon in the north Florida area here that our numbers are high when everybody else seems to be either leveled out or even down from where they were,” Hackney said.
While emphasizing the importance of driver vigilance, Hackney also pointed to pedestrian responsibility, particularly regarding crosswalk usage and visibility.
Investigators noted there were no visible crosswalks in the area of the New Kings Road crash.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released by JSO. The investigation is ongoing.