A 38-year-old Palatka woman was killed Saturday night after being struck by two vehicles while she was in the roadway on State Road 19 in Putnam County. Florida Highway Patrol said the pedestrian crash happened near East Escambia Street, and neither of the two drivers involved was injured.
According to News4JAX, troopers say the woman was a pedestrian in the roadway when she was hit, and the outlet places the crash at about 8:15 p.m. An earlier report from Action News Jax put the timing closer to 8:20 p.m. Saturday night, noting that “the crash in Putnam County near East Escambia Street occurred about 8:20 p.m. on Saturday night.” The exact time has not been independently resolved between the two accounts.
In that same initial report, Action News Jax said Florida Highway Patrol officials had responded to a fatal crash on South State Road 19, south of Palatka, but at the time had not released any details about the number of fatalities, how many vehicles were involved, or the circumstances of the crash. Those additional specifics, including the woman's age, hometown and the fact that two vehicles struck her, later emerged in the seed report's account.
Road Closed, Then Reopened as Investigation Continued
State Road 19 was shut down while troopers worked the scene, and it later reopened once the on-scene investigation wrapped up, the station's report notes. Troopers investigated the crash.
The crash has not been tied to any citations or charges, and the agency has not released the identities of the drivers, the vehicles involved or an explanation for why the woman was in the roadway at the time. Those details remain unknown for now, per the same account.
Part of a Troubling Pattern on Putnam County Roads
Pedestrian deaths have been a recurring concern on Putnam County roadways. A man walking on U.S. 17 in Putnam County was killed in a hit-and-run crash, according to News4JAX. In a separate incident, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office reported that a pedestrian walking along State Road 19 south of National Forest Road 74, within the Ocala National Forest, was struck by an unknown vehicle, according to First Coast News.
No further updates on Saturday's crash have been released, and Florida Highway Patrol has not indicated when more information might become available.
