JACKSONVILLE, FL – Multiple crashes on Sunday morning tied up travel in Duval and St. Johns counties, including two deadly wrecks on Interstate 295 and another crash on Interstate 95 that caused injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crashes unfolded within a few hours of one another and affected major routes in the Jacksonville area. FHP said the first deadly crash happened near San Jose Boulevard in Mandarin, the second on I-295 southbound near Wilson Boulevard, and the third on I-95 southbound at International Golf Parkway in St. Johns County.
Drivers were warned to expect delays and use caution while troopers worked the scenes and reopened lanes.
Wrong-way driver killed after early crash near San Jose Boulevard
The first fatal wreck was reported around 1:27 a.m. on I-295 northbound near San Jose Boulevard. FHP said a 34-year-old woman from St. Augustine was driving southbound in the northbound lanes when her car sideswiped another vehicle.
After that initial impact, investigators say the car hit a third vehicle, an SUV, head-on. The 34-year-old driver died at the scene. The 23-year-old Jacksonville man driving the second car had minor injuries, while the 35-year-old Jacksonville man in the SUV suffered life-threatening injuries.
FHP said all three drivers were wearing seat belts. The northbound lanes later reopened.
Second deadly I-295 crash involved SUV, disabled vehicle and tractor-trailer
A second fatal crash was reported about 5:13 a.m. on Interstate 295 southbound, south of Wilson Boulevard in Jacksonville. According to FHP, a 29-year-old Jacksonville man was driving an SUV southbound when he tried to avoid a disabled vehicle in the center lane.
The driver swerved left and the front of the SUV struck the rear of a tractor-trailer that was stopped on the inside shoulder. The SUV then rotated and came to rest blocking the left travel lane.
Troopers said the SUV driver was pronounced dead at the scene. FHP said he was not wearing a seat belt. The 36-year-old Haines City man driving the tractor-trailer was not hurt.
St. Johns County wreck closes two lanes on I-95 southbound
About seven minutes after the second deadly crash, FHP reported another wreck in St. Johns County around 5:20 a.m. on I-95 southbound at International Golf Parkway. Troopers classified that collision as a crash with injuries.
Officials said the two right lanes were blocked because of the scene. FHP did not immediately release details on how the crash happened or how many people were hurt.
The timing of the wreck added to the morning traffic problems for commuters headed through the area. Drivers were asked to slow down and remain alert near the affected stretch of highway.
Troopers say conditions in the region led to major delays
The three crashes affected some of the busiest road corridors in the Jacksonville region. I-295 serves as a major bypass around the city, while I-95 is one of the state’s key north-south routes, so closures and lane blockages can quickly ripple through the morning commute.
In the first fatal crash, all three drivers were belted, while the second deadly crash involved a driver who was not wearing a seat belt, according to FHP. Those details are part of the troopers’ ongoing review of the wrecks.
FHP said the second deadly crash remains under investigation, and it has not released more information about the people involved in any of the three collisions.
What FHP has said so far about the Sunday morning crashes
As of Sunday morning, troopers had confirmed two deaths, one life-threatening injury, one minor injury and at least one additional crash with injuries in St. Johns County. The agency also said the northbound lanes of I-295 near San Jose Boulevard had reopened after the first wreck.
Other details, including the condition of anyone hurt in the St. Johns County crash, were not immediately available. FHP had not said whether weather, speed or impairment played any role in any of the wrecks.
For now, the highway patrol is asking drivers to be careful in the area as investigators continue sorting out what happened at each scene.
