JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The driver killed in a crash Monday on Argyle Forest Boulevard has been identified as 17-year-old David Mustafa, a rising senior at Oakleaf High School.
He is the third person to die in a traffic crash near that intersection in the past two and a half months.
Monday’s crash happened at Argyle Forest and Loch Highland boulevards around 9:15 p.m. as the teenager was taking a left out of the Popeyes in a Ford Mustang was killed when authorities say a Nissan pickup truck heading east struck him.
Mustafa’s brother said Mustafa’s girlfriend in the passenger seat survived because of him.
The driver of the truck who collided with them had life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook in a post on Facebook said Mustafa hoped to join the Sheriff’s Office -- and had dreams of becoming a K-9 deputy.
“Please drive safely. Please hug your loved ones,” she wrote.
Mustafa’s brother told News4JAX that Mustafa, who played football and taught martial arts, will be missed by many.
Kris Southerland, the chief instructor at Roderick’s Family Martial Arts, said Mustafa joined the team six or seven months ago.
“We’re definitely all going to miss him here,” he said. “Very happy, very joy-filled kid.”
According to Southerland, Mustafa found his passion in martial arts and dreamed of running a karate school.
3 deadly crashes since April
On Wednesday, caution tape still draped a stop sign at the intersection. In response to the crash, a sign saying “Please use caution. Speed kills. Traffic fatality area,” was also posted near the intersection.
“We really just thought they were putting those back up there as a friendly reminder to people that live back here in the Oakleaf, Argyle area,” said neighbor Damien Hagans.
Hagans said he’s lived in the Highland Lakes neighborhood at the intersection for four years.
“Come to find out, it was a third fatality, so that’s hard to believe,” Hagans said.
Two other people have been killed near that intersection since April. On April 23, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office, a woman was fatally struck by a car while crossing the street on foot. And, on May 8, a motorcyclist collided with an SUV at the intersection and died, according to police.
“It’s heavy traffic around the clock, it really is,” Hagans said.
Hagans said something needs to change.
“One, you know, we’d all be saddened by the story,” Hagans said. “But when you see them happen so close to each other, that’s when everybody started jumping up, saying we need to do something.”
The city has confirmed to News4JAX that it has determined a traffic light is needed. The city has the money for it in the upcoming fiscal year budget.