JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A devastating four-vehicle collision on Atlantic Boulevard left three people dead and four others hospitalized on Sunday, prompting long-time residents to renew calls for increased safety on what they describe as a “death trap” stretch of road.
The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. near the 5400 block of Atlantic Boulevard, close to Empire Point. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), a westbound Infiniti driven by a teenager crossed over the center median and slammed into eastbound traffic.
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The impact of the crossing was catastrophic, involving two SUVs and a sedan heading eastbound. The force of the collision caused two of the vehicles to burst into flames.
Betty Cook, who has lived along Atlantic Boulevard for nearly seven decades, was returning home from church when she found her street blocked by police and saw a thick black smoke.
“It was a bellow, just huge black smoke,” Cook said.
She noted that after seeing many lives lost just steps from her home over the years, she considers the stretch of road a “death trap.”
“It was just heart-wrenching yesterday when we saw this on Sunday,” Cook added. “We have seen so many accidents here.”
Other neighbors echoed these sentiments, noting that drivers often treat the busy boulevard like a highway, with some calling for stricter speed controls.
Traffic crash reports indicate the Infiniti driven by the teenager was registered to another individual. Additionally, the report noted the teen driver held a restricted license.
JSO Traffic Homicide Unit Sgt. Robert Hungerford described the event as a “dynamic traffic crash.”
“We’re still working to determine which of the three oncoming cars the Infiniti actually struck,” Sgt. Hungerford said. “We do believe it struck more than one.”
All three occupants of one of the eastbound SUVs were pronounced dead at the scene. Four others were transported to local hospitals.
Two men from the second SUV suffered life-threatening injuries. A woman in her 50s driving the eastbound sedan is in stable condition. The teenage driver of the Infiniti was hospitalized with non-life-threatening but serious injuries.
JSO investigators are still piecing together the sequence of events. No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed at this time.
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