A pickup truck driving the wrong way on J. Turner Butler Boulevard near Marsh Landing Parkway turned a Thursday night commute into tragedy, leaving two people dead and two others seriously injured, according to troopers. Florida Highway Patrol investigators described the head-on collision as violent, saying both vehicles spun apart after impact and the roadway was shut down while crews cleared the wreckage.
Crash details
The crash happened around 9:08 p.m. west of Marsh Landing Parkway, when a 21-year-old Ponte Vedra man drove a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes and slammed into an SUV that had been traveling east, according to Action News Jax. Emergency crews responded quickly, and the force of the collision left the two vehicles rotated and separated across the roadway.
The SUV's driver, a 73-year-old man from Ponte Vedra Beach, and his 67-year-old female passenger, also from Ponte Vedra Beach, were pronounced dead at the scene. A third occupant of the SUV, a 38-year-old woman from Wappingers Falls, New York, was seriously injured and taken to a hospital. The pickup driver also suffered serious injuries, News4JAX reports.
Investigation and traffic
The Florida Highway Patrol has released preliminary ages and hometowns of those involved as part of its report, according to First Coast News. Eastbound lanes on JTB were shut down for several hours while troopers investigated and crews worked the scene, causing backups that stretched through Jacksonville Beach, Action News Jax reports.
Troopers continue to investigate what led to the wrong-way driving and the resulting crash and have asked anyone with information to contact the Florida Highway Patrol. Updates will be provided as officials release more details.
