All southbound lanes of Philips Highway at Southside Boulevard were shut down Friday night after a fatal crash, snarling traffic near The Avenues as crews worked to clear the scene. The closure left drivers in the busy Southside corridor searching for alternate routes well into the evening.
The crash was first reported shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol traffic incidents map, as detailed by First Coast News. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced the crash and subsequent road closure just before 8 p.m., according to Action News Jax, which reported that all southbound lanes in the area of The Avenues had been shut down due to a traffic accident, police said. The Florida Highway Patrol listed the crash as fatal at approximately 8:25 p.m. Friday, per the same outlet.
Traffic Diverted As Crews Work The Scene
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officials said traffic was being diverted to the nearby Main Event parking lot while crews worked to clear the crash scene. First Coast News advised drivers to avoid the area for now as the closure continued to back up southbound traffic along the busy Philips Highway corridor.
No further details were released about the nature of the crash or the severity of injuries, First Coast News reported. Action News Jax noted it was reaching out to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and to fire officials for details, including reports of any injuries, but those specifics were not immediately available.
A Notoriously Busy Stretch Of Road
The intersection sits in one of Jacksonville's busiest traffic corridors. Citywide crash data cited by News4JAX, drawn from a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office report titled “Top 25 High-Frequency Crash Locations — Citywide 2025,” shows that University Boulevard W and Phillips Highway ranked third overall with 221 crashes, while Baymeadows Road and Southside Boulevard ranked fifth with 196 crashes. That same report notes the Sheriff's Office data does not specify crash severity, so it is not possible to say how Friday's fatal crash compares to the broader totals for the area.
Authorities had not said by late Friday when the closed lanes would reopen. Drivers heading toward The Avenues or elsewhere along Philips Highway's southbound lanes should expect delays and plan for detours until crews finish clearing the scene.
