ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A 65-year-old man from Maine was hit and killed Saturday morning on State Road A1A in St. Augustine, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers said the man and a 63-year-old woman -- both from Boothbay Harbor, Maine -- were crossing A1A at Euclid Avenue, just in front of The Reef restaurant, when a van driven by a 17-year-old boy from Warsaw, Indiana, struck the pair.
The man and woman were taken to Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine. The woman was then taken to Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville with minor injuries.
Troopers said the man died at Flagler Hospital.
A man, who wished not to be named, lives off A1A and said he isn’t shocked hearing about this accident.
“It is dangerous for pedestrians,” he said. “There’s more and more rentals now and because of that, they’re not familiar with the area.”
When asked if he thinks there should be crosswalks, he said, “It could help.”
In 2019, the most recent year with statewide statistics, there were 713 pedestrian fatalities in Florida. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, that is the most in a single year in the state in the past 10 years.
From 2010-2019, data shows Florida recorded 5,893 pedestrian fatalities.
The local man who spoke with News4JAX said he doesn’t know the solution to reducing the accidents that happen on A1A.
“A lot of neighbors have been talking about putting up stoplights, but I don’t know if that’s the solution,” he said.
The 17-year-old driver and his five passengers -- ages 16, 16, 14, 16 and 15, all from Indiana -- were all wearing seat belts and were not injured in the crash, FHP said.