An 11th-grade girl walking to First Coast High School was struck by a car a little after 7 a.m. Thursday on Duval Station Road, one of two crashes reported that morning near the school. The student was taken to a hospital and is expected to be okay.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed two crashes were reported Thursday morning on Duval Station Road near the school, according to News4JAX. A viewer who witnessed the aftermath told the station they saw the teen sitting up after the crash, and the same viewer raised concerns about cars driving aggressively as students crossed the road using the flashing pedestrian lights installed there.
Thursday's crash is not an isolated event on this stretch of road. On August 18, 2025, another student walking to First Coast High School was hit in a hit-and-run on Duval Station Road, the third Duval County student struck by a vehicle within six days at the start of that school year, according to Action News Jax. District 3 School Board Member Cindy Pearson called for stricter traffic enforcement following that cluster of crashes, and school board officials have since pushed to expand the district's crossing-guard presence at secondary schools.
A Crosswalk With a Troubled History
The danger along Duval Station Road goes back further still. In December 2022, a First Coast High School student reported being hit by a driver at a crosswalk near Duval Station Road and Starratt Road, after which the driver apologized and left before police arrived, per First Coast News. That crash fueled student demands for speed bumps and stationed officers near a stretch of road posted at 40 mph.
The 40 mph limit itself traces back to an earlier tragedy. After a January 2019 crash broke a First Coast High School freshman's leg on Duval Station Road, the City of Jacksonville authorized a $200,000 traffic safety project that installed flashing crosswalk signals and lowered the posted speed from 45 mph to 40 mph, according to reporting from the same period. Neighbors had warned city traffic officials about the danger ten months before that 2019 crash occurred.
Under Florida Statute 316.130(7)(a), drivers approaching an intersection or crosswalk are legally required to stop and remain stopped for any pedestrian who is in or stepping into the crosswalk, a duty that applies even when automated or flashing yellow signals are active.
Traffic Has Only Grown Heavier Near the School
Commercial development has added to congestion on the corridor. In May 2026, a 5,033-square-foot Chick-fil-A with a dual drive-thru opened at 705 Duval Station Road directly across from First Coast High School, following public opposition from residents who warned the added traffic would create hazards for students, as Hoodline previously reported. Neighbors had told the city during public meetings that a commercial drive-thru would jeopardize student safety during school drop-off hours.
Duval County Public Schools continues to promote its “Be Safe. Be Seen.” traffic safety campaign, encouraging students to use designated crosswalks and asking families to commit to pedestrian safety pledges during school open houses, according to Action News Jax's earlier coverage of the district's efforts.
Part of a Countywide Surge in Pedestrian Deaths
Thursday's crash lands amid a worsening countywide trend. Duval County had recorded 30 pedestrian fatalities through early September 2026, up from 21 during the same period in 2025, according to News4JAX. Florida Highway Safety data recorded 481 pedestrian crashes and 38 fatalities countywide in 2025 alone.
Between December 2025 and May 2026, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office ran a $113,520 high-visibility traffic enforcement campaign funded by FDOT and IPTM to educate drivers and enforce pedestrian safety, First Coast News reported. Despite that effort, five pedestrian fatalities occurred in Duval County in early June 2026 alone. In July 2025, the city launched its Vision Zero Action Plan, introducing “20 Is Plenty” speed limit reductions on high-injury corridors and securing $1 million in federal funding for quick-build safety projects; city traffic planners have noted that pedestrian injuries are rising as larger SUVs share roads with pedestrians and cyclists.
The Jacksonville metro area ranked 16th most dangerous in the nation for pedestrians in Smart Growth America's “Dangerous by Design 2026” report, which found Florida home to nine of the top 27 deadliest metro areas nationwide, as Hoodline reported in August. For families walking their kids to First Coast High School, the flashing lights and lowered speed limit meant to make Duval Station Road safer have so far not stopped the crashes from continuing.
