Jacksonville, Fl — One person has died in a crash on the Buckman Bridge in Mandarin this morning.
Florida Highway Patrol says a Road Ranger was headed northbound toward Orange Park around 3:30 am when he hit a pickup truck, sending it into the St. Johns River.
The occupant, a 61-year-old man from Jacksonville, died. The crash happened about one-half mile onto the bridge, not at the top of the span.
LISTEN: FHP Sgt. Dylan Bryan on Jacksonville’s Morning News
The driver of the Road Ranger was not injured and was questioned by FHP, so far no charges have been filed. A crash report indicates the Road Ranger was a 23-year-old man from Jacksonville.
“We do believe at this point that it was just during the regular patrol operations that they do in our area.”, said FHP Sgt. Dylan Bryan.
A 2015 FDOT study of the Buckman Bridge led to several key takeaways about safety, the height of barrier walls, and more.
The study found only a small fraction of crashes where a vehicle went into the river. As a result of that study, FDOT began a bridge safety project that includes new overhead signage.
Unknown number of occupants in vehicle. Two lanes of I-295 northbound will be blocked for some time for recovery purposes. Expect delays. Please seek alternate route. pic.twitter.com/AbBS44GzkM
— FHPJacksonville (@FHPJacksonville) February 28, 2023
Duval county fatal crash. I-295 NB on Buckman Bridge. Road Ranger versus another vehicle. Other vehicle went over side of bridge and into water after impact. Attempts to recover the vehicle are currently ongoing. We believe this crash to be a fatality. pic.twitter.com/wgtrAxhfkU
— FHPJacksonville (@FHPJacksonville) February 28, 2023
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