A late-morning drive along a notoriously dangerous Northwest Jacksonville corridor turned deadly Saturday when a pickup truck hauling a heavy trailer plowed into two vehicles, crushing a Toyota Camry and killing a passenger, authorities said.
The multi-vehicle wreck unfolded on Edgewood Avenue West near Lem Turner Road and left one sedan pinned beneath another, according to emergency crews. Investigators shut down lanes in the busy stretch while they picked through a scene so severe officials later called it “graphic.”
According to News4JAX, Sgt. Robert Hungerford of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit said the crash happened around 11:15 a.m. A Dodge 3500 towing a large trailer loaded with two vehicles was heading east on Edgewood Avenue West when it failed to stop and slammed into the rear of a Toyota Camry and a Ford F-150. The impact left the Dodge resting on top of the Camry.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue used heavy equipment to extricate the Camry driver, who was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, News4JAX reported. The Camry’s passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, and the F-150 driver was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Investigators counted the wreck as Duval County’s 106th traffic fatality this year, a grim tally that continues to climb.
Traffic response
As reported by Action News Jax, all lanes of Edgewood Avenue were shut down from Lem Turner Road to Smyrna Street during the midday response, instantly choking off a key local route. Drivers were urged to steer clear while firefighters, tow operators and crash investigators worked under the midday sun.
The closure stretched on for hours as tow crews labored to separate the stacked vehicles and document the scene, and traffic spilled over onto nearby residential streets while the main intersection remained blocked.
What investigators are looking at
Sgt. Hungerford told reporters that detectives are examining how fast the vehicles were traveling and whether braking or distraction played a role, noting the Dodge was heading downhill while pulling a loaded trailer. He added that the Dodge driver is cooperating with investigators and that the full investigation could take some time, according to News4JAX.
Dangerous stretch
The crash did not surprise traffic safety advocates who have long flagged the corridor. The intersection of Edgewood Avenue and Lem Turner Road appears on city maps identifying a high-injury network, and the City of Jacksonville’s Vision Zero materials call out the area for persistent crash problems.
As outlined by the City of Jacksonville, planners say redesign, stepped-up enforcement and targeted fixes are part of a long-term push to cut fatal and serious crashes on corridors like Edgewood and Lem Turner. Saturday’s wreck is now another data point in that ongoing debate about how quickly change is coming.
Investigators asked anyone who saw the crash or has information about it to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office via the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office website. Authorities said more details will be released as the case moves forward.
