Fatal crash on CR-210 stirs up continuing safety concerns

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. —

UPDATE · Jan. 28 | Action News Jax is learning tragic new details in a deadly crash on County Road 210 in St. Johns County Thursday.

Three people are now confirmed dead from the crash—all of whom were coworkers at Vallencourt Construction.

Vallencourt Construction President Marcus McInarnay announced the men’s passing in an internal email to employees:

“The Vallencourt family is deeply saddened to report the tragic loss of 3 members yesterday. David Barnes II, Darren Mosley, and James Wilkinson. While we are still awaiting more information on exactly what transpired, what we know is that 3 good men lost their lives, and one other member, Joseph Bryant, is in stable condition at the hospital.”

“Their supervisors all report that these men embodied the Vallencourt Construction ethos of hard work, integrity, and positive attitude. While the loss for the Vallencourt Construction family is immense, it doesn’t compare to the pain the families are feeling.”

“On behalf of everyone at Vallencourt Construction, our deepest condolences go out to all those affected by this tragedy. We will be reaching out directly in the coming days and are here to help in any way we can.”

Original story | Jan. 27

One person is dead and five are injured after a crash involving three vehicles including a semi-truck, St. Johns County Fire Rescue told Action News Jax on Thursday.

It happened on County Road 210 just past South Hampton Club Way before noon.

RELATED STORY: St. Johns: 1 dead, 5 hurt in multi-vehicle crash on CR-210

“There’s so much merging and unmerging, going from two lanes to one lane, one lane to two lanes, and so people, especially if they’re not used to driving this, I think they’re having a hard time with getting to the right spots,” Tracey Shelton said.

Shelton has lived off 210 for eight years. The news of the crash saddened her but didn’t come as a surprise.

She says driving on the road is a gamble every time.

Action News Jax has told you about other crashes in the area before. In 2018, we reported on a serious motorcycle crash. We also told you in 2017 when a deputy was seriously hurt after crashing his motorcycle.

We reached out to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol to request the number of crashes in the area within the last year. Both agencies say they’re working on our request.

“There have actually been several crashes like right behind our subdivision,” Shelton said, adding, “it’s like a magnet.”

Back in 2018, the county announced plans to add two more lanes to 210 between Greenbriar Road and Cimarrone Boulevard.

“I often see surveyors on the road and think, ‘yay, maybe now?’ but then nothing’s really happened,” Shelton said.

INVESTIGATES: Hundreds of thousands of dollars in public money went to county employee, report says

Action News Jax asked the county for an update on the project. A spokesperson says the county is in the process of hiring a company to design, permit, and build that segment of road. The county says the two-lane section will be widened to a four-lane section, and the draining and bridges will accommodate a future six-lane section.

For neighbors like Shelton, these improvements can’t come soon enough.

“If you’re here at 5 in the afternoon it’s backed up,” she added.

The county tells Action News Jax it plans to have a contract with a company within the next 60 to 90 days, and that construction will take 18 to 24 months.

©2022 Cox Media Group