Nearly 1,000 crashes in just over 3 years on I-95 in St. Johns County. What makes the stretch so dangerous?

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The 18- to 20-mile stretch of I-95 in St. Johns County between County Road 210 and State Road 207 is notorious among Northeast Florida drivers.

Nearly everyone who regularly travels that section of I-95 near the Duval County line has a story about being stuck in seemingly endless traffic caused by a crash.

But News4JAX wanted to know what the data actually show. Is that stretch of highway really as dangerous as it appears?

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, from January 2023 through this April, there were 998 crashes on the section of I-95 between County Road 210 and State Road 207, with 14 deaths and 34 critical injuries.

That averages to about 25 crashes a month over the 40-month period.

In the same time period, the stretch of I-95 from Old St. Augustine Road to County Road 210 saw 548 total crashes with six deaths and 20 critical injuries.

That’s a little less than 14 crashes a month.

FHP said the crash total might sound high, but the corridor is heavily traveled. The more cars, the higher the probability of crashes, troopers said.

(NOTE: Scroll down for a year-by-year breakdown of the crash numbers)

So what’s to blame?

A viewer who flagged the issue with the high number of crashes along I-95 in St. Johns County called it the “Bermuda Triangle of 95.”

Troy Bowen told News4JAX that he believes that stretch of highway should be safer for drivers traveling between Jacksonville and St. Augustine.

So News4JAX asked FHP what’s the most likely cause of so many crashes.

FHP Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan said the agency has heard many theories about why the corridor can be dangerous, including sun glare, wind, and road design.

But he said in-depth reviews haven’t found any issues with the roadway.

“A lot of agencies have looked at this, not only from the enforcement side, but from the engineering side, like how the roadway is built, and everything is on par,” Bryan said.

Bryan said the issue is with drivers and that many of the crashes are lane-departure crashes.

“What we tend to see or have seen is either driver fatigue or driver distraction really kind of takes over,” Bryan said, acknowledging that the long, straight layout and long distances between exits can contribute to that fatigue and distraction.

Bryan said enforcement agencies, including FHP and local law enforcement, have increased patrol visibility in the area, and that FHP is seeing “a slow downtick” in crashes.

This year is trending slightly below last year’s pace, he said. So far in 2026, the stretch has averaged about 20 crashes a month.

But Bowen, the viewer who voiced concerns about the roadway, noted that the busiest travel months are still ahead.

“We’re not through the vacation months yet,” Bowen said. “So through the summer months, we’re going to have a lot more traffic coming down.”

Year-by-year data: CR 210 to SR 207

Year-by-year data: Old St. Augustine to CR 210