A late-night crash on Jacksonville’s Westside turned deadly Saturday when two vehicles collided at a busy intersection, killing one driver and leaving a teenage motorist shaken but unhurt.
The wreck happened around 9:48 p.m. at New Kings Road and Soutel Drive and involved a Honda CR-V and a Chevrolet Colorado. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Action News Jax, the CR-V was heading north on New Kings Road with a 16-year-old behind the wheel, while the Colorado, driven by a man in his late 40s, was traveling east on Soutel Drive when the two vehicles collided.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue took the Colorado driver to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The teen driver stayed at the scene and is cooperating with detectives, authorities said.
Intersection’s History and Planned Safety Upgrades
The New Kings Road and Soutel Drive corridor has seen multiple recent crashes, some of them fatal, a pattern residents and local outlets have repeatedly called out. News4JAX has previously reported on deadly wrecks at or near this same intersection.
City redevelopment documents show the KingSoutel Crossing Community Redevelopment Area has earmarked money for capital improvements along New Kings Road that are intended to add medians, sidewalks and other safety features. Recent resolutions from the City of Jacksonville move funding toward that project, which is expected to roll out over several years.
Investigation, Traffic Toll and How to Help
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office told Action News Jax this is the 48th traffic fatality in Duval County so far this year. Investigators are still working to reconstruct what led up to the crash and are reviewing evidence from the scene.
Anyone who saw the collision or has information is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at (904) 630-0500 or email [email protected], according to the agency’s contact page.
The latest fatal crash adds urgency to long-running safety conversations about the Westside. While city funding for upgrades is finally moving, residents and traffic advocates say changes may be needed sooner than the current multiyear timeline allows.
