A tragic accident on Interstate 95 in St. Johns County claimed the life of a 40-year-old Orlando man late last night. According to News4Jax, seven passengers were traveling in an SUV that was navigating the northbound lanes when the driver, identified by Florida Highway Patrol as a 57-year-old man, lost control of the vehicle around 10:15 p.m. The SUV veered into the left side of the highway, hitting a guardrail and flipping onto its roof. Only one passenger was reportedly wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
During the violent upheaval, an unnamed man who had not been secured by a seatbelt was ejected from the back seat of the SUV. Landing on the highway, he was then struck by an oncoming pickup truck, as reported by First Coast News. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries. The collision resulted in a seven-hour closure of I-95 in both directions, with the road reopening before 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the occupants of the pickup truck involved in the aftermath of the incident escaped unharmed, which included the driver and her two passengers, as detailed by Florida Highway Patrol and cited by News4Jax. The driver of the SUV and the remaining five passengers sustained minor injuries. Authorities have yet to release the identities of those involved. An ongoing investigation is being conducted by troopers to fully determine the events leading up to the crash.
According to a release by Action News Jax, the severity of the accident was compounded by the fact that only two of the seven passengers in the overturned SUV were wearing seatbelts.
