JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A 22-year-old South Carolina man died after he was struck by a car late Thursday in Jacksonville Beach.
The car was heading south on 2nd Street North shortly before midnight when it hit Bryn Turner and then ran into a tree before stopping near the intersection with 5th Avenue North, according to police.
Turner, just weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, died at the scene.
Police said the driver, 31-year-old Joshua Lovingood of Jacksonville, was not hurt. Charges are pending a blood draw because police suspect speed and alcohol might have played a role.
Emily Hoffman, who called 911, said she'll never forget what she witnessed that night. A loud crash sent her searching for the source of the commotion. When she arrived, she found a man lying in the grass.
She said that man had been walking with Turner before the collision. When he came to, he asked her where his friend was. It didn't take her long to find a second man lying lifeless in the middle of the road.
"He sprung right up and was so worried about his best friend," she recalled. "I could hear him sobbing. Nobody deserves that. I know how I feel. I can only imagine how he feels."
"I ran down the street and it was clear he (had) passed (away)," added Hoffman. "It was horrific. It was like something out of a horror movie. My heart goes out to the family."
Court records show Lovingood was arrested in 2018 on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. Those charges were later dropped.
