JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol says a trooper has serious injuries after a collision Friday evening near the south end of the Buckman Bridge.
According to Sgt. Dylan Bryan, with the Highway Patrol, an FHP lieutenant was conducting a traffic stop on the right shoulder of the roadway, and the trooper’s cruiser was rear-ended by an F-150, which first struck a concrete barrier.
⚠️Trooper Involved Crash⚠️
— FHPJacksonville (@FHPJacksonville) July 23, 2021
I-295 SB at Buckman Bridge (south end). Trooper rear ended while on traffic stop. Serious injuries to Trooper. Other driver not injured. Possible impairment involved. Two right lanes blocked. Please seek alternate route. Traffic significantly delayed. pic.twitter.com/bFArKyZ1ge
The report from the highway patrol said the driver who struck the cruiser was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Bryan said the driver also faces an additional charge of DUI hit-and-run because another vehicle was struck on the Buckman before the cruiser was hit.
The driver, a 31-year-old Jacksonville man, was not injured, FHP said. The trooper, a woman, was hospitalized for treatment.
According to Bryan, the lieutenant has 10 years of experience.
The trooper, who was not identified by name, was in her cruiser at the time of the crash.
As of 10 a.m. Saturday, News4Jax learned the trooper had been released from the hospital and was resting at home.
— FHPJacksonville (@FHPJacksonville) July 24, 2021
The crash was first reported around 7:40 p.m. The scene was cleared shortly after 10 p.m.