7 AM: UPDATE: A 72-year-old Jacksonville woman is dead after the car she was a passenger in was struck by a tractor-trailer Thursday morning on Interstate 10 eastbound in Jacksonville near downtown. The accident occurred at about 2:05 a.m. near the Interstate 295 split.
The sedan was being driven by a 72-year-old man who was initially stopped on the right outside shoulder of I-10 before attempting to merge into traffic, a Florida Highway Patrol report states.
The driver of the sedan failed to ensure it was safe to merge, leading to a collision with the rear left portion of the tractor-trailer, the report states. After the collision, the sedan was propelled forward and struck a traffic sign support pole, coming to rest on the right outside shoulder, the report states…