What started as a routine information swap after a minor crash on State Road 9B turned deadly Thursday night in Jacksonville’s Bayard community. A 38-year-old woman was killed and a 35-year-old man was critically injured when a sedan hit them as they stood in the paved inside emergency lane, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers say the two had stepped into the lane to exchange information after a minor collision. The woman died at the scene, the man was rushed to Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries, and the driver of the sedan suffered only minor injuries.
A Florida Highway Patrol news release, reported by Action News Jax, states the crash happened around 9:48 p.m. near Flagler Center Boulevard as southbound traffic slowed. While vehicles were stopped, one of them rolled backward into the other, troopers said, prompting both drivers to step into the inside emergency lane to exchange information.
How Troopers Say It Unfolded
Investigators say a 20-year-old man from St. Augustine was driving southbound in the inside lane when he failed to see the stopped traffic ahead. He tried to brake and steered into the emergency lane, where he struck the two people standing there. The impact carried them a short distance before the sedan came to rest in the grass median, according to News4JAX.
Victims And Emergency Response
The woman, identified in reports only as a 38-year-old St. Johns County resident, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 35-year-old man, from Fairfield, Ohio, was taken to Memorial Hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries, officials said. Troopers reported that the sedan’s driver, who was wearing his seat belt, suffered only minor injuries. The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash, according to Action News Jax.
Roadway Safety Context
The same stretch of SR 9B has seen serious crashes in recent years. A separate collision last August left one person dead and several others hospitalized, sparking local safety conversations about the fast-moving corridor. That earlier incident was reported by News4JAX, highlighting ongoing concerns about the busy roadway…