Jacksonville, Fla. — Monday morning turned tragic on the Buckman Bridge as a deadly crash claimed the life of a 28-year-old man, bringing rush hour traffic to a standstill for nearly seven hours.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred just after 6 a.m. on the southbound lanes of I-295, near U.S. 17. Authorities say the young man was driving a pickup truck when he collided with the rear of a box truck that was disabled in the left emergency lane.
The impact was fatal. Despite wearing a seat belt, the driver of the pickup died at the scene.
The driver of the disabled box truck, a 43-year-old man from Tampa, was unharmed.
As emergency crews worked tirelessly through the morning, all lanes of I-295 southbound were shut down, forcing thousands of commuters to detour via U.S. 17 and Blanding Boulevard. The road was finally reopened around 12:45 p.m., but the loss hung heavy over the day.
This tragic incident serves as a somber reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of caution on our roadways. The identity of the 28-year-old has not yet been publicly released, pending notification of next of kin.
FHP continues to investigate the crash
