A tragic wrong-way crash on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville claimed the life of a 75-year-old man and left two others with critical injuries late Friday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:59 p.m. on the southbound lanes of I-95, just south of Park Avenue. Authorities report that the 75-year-old Jacksonville man was operating a van traveling north in the southbound lanes, creating an immediate hazard for oncoming traffic.
As the van proceeded against the flow of traffic, it first sideswiped an SUV driven by a 26-year-old Jacksonville woman. While the driver of the SUV was able to bring her vehicle to a controlled stop, sustaining only minor injuries in the process, the van continued traveling in the wrong direction.
Moments later, the van collided head-on with a sedan that had been traveling southbound behind the SUV. The impact was significant, leaving both vehicles disabled in the middle lane of the interstate.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene shortly after the collision to find a chaotic scene. The driver of the van was transported to a local hospital for emergency treatment, but he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
The occupants of the sedan suffered the most severe consequences of the crash. The driver, a 27-year-old woman from Tampa, sustained serious injuries. Her passenger, a 49-year-old Jacksonville resident, was reported to have suffered critical injuries. Both individuals were rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent care, where they remained at the time of the latest update.
The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding how and why the elderly driver entered the interstate in the wrong direction. The incident forced the closure of the southbound lanes of I-95 for several hours as investigators processed the scene and cleared the wreckage.
No further details regarding the victims’ current medical conditions have been released. Officials are continuing to review evidence and conduct interviews as part of their ongoing investigation into the fatal wreck.
This collision serves as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by wrong-way driving incidents on high-speed roadways. FHP officials urge anyone with additional information regarding the crash to contact their office as they work to piece together the final moments before the collision.
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