A high-speed crash in Jacksonville’s San Marco neighborhood today resulted in two fatalities and two injuries. According to Action News Jax, the incident involved a red Chevrolet Trailblazer reported stolen earlier in January. The vehicle struck a telephone pole at approximately 3:42 a.m., following a traffic stop by Jacksonville police connected to reported car break-ins. One occupant died at the scene, another later at the hospital, while a third remains in critical condition and a fourth, possibly a juvenile, is stable.
Police were initially responding to reports of possible car break-ins on Hendricks Avenue. First Coast News reports that witnesses saw the Trailblazer driving suspiciously in the area. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle fled at high speeds, but police did not pursue it due to concerns for public safety.
The crash at Nira Street and Kings Avenue caused road closures that disrupted early morning traffic. Sergeant Robert Hungerford of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that speed was a contributing factor and noted that the fatalities mark the 18th and 19th traffic deaths in Duval County in 2026.
The initial alert regarding car break-ins originated from an attempted auto theft on Clairmont Road, where a vehicle with a broken window and damaged steering column was reported, as per Sergeant Hungerford in a statement to News4Jax. He added that the Trailblazer involved in the crash was connected to this suspicious activity. Authorities are still determining the identities and ages of the vehicle’s occupants and are investigating whether they were involved in the attempted auto theft.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the crash and the events leading up to it. Authorities are asking the public to provide any information that could assist the investigation. Tips can be submitted by calling JSO’s non-emergency number or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
