Jacksonville — The Florida Highway Patrol says a fiery crash on US 17 near NAS Jax appears to have been the result of road rage, and the alleged aggressor is dead.
A Clay County man was inside this Dodge Durango with his father when they were involved in the five car crash on US-17 in Jacksonville yesterday.
— Brittney Donovan (@brittneyANjax) April 12, 2019
Witnesses tell me two other cars were involved in a road rage incident before the pileup. A man was killed @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/tQUAlV6RkV
FHP has provided a detailed account of the scene on US 17, but witness video shows it may have actually started on the Buckman Bridge, where two vehicles collided and kept driving.
“It was definitely road rage,” Danny Powless said. “It was no love tap, it was full on ramming each other.”
Moments later, a fiery crash occurred on Roosevelt Boulevard at Avent Drive. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Suburban and Civic smashed into each other several times on U.S. 17 before the Suburban veered off the road into oncoming traffic.
Sky Action News Jax video shows the Suburban on its side. Troopers say it caught fire killing the driver, 60-year-old James Robinson, of Jacksonville. Five other cars, including the Civic, were damaged. The 22-year-old driver of the Civic is one of five people who suffered minor injuries because of the crash, while one of the other drivers was seriously hurt, according to FHP.
An FHP spokesperson said troopers believe Robinson was the aggressor. The investigation is still ongoing.