JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man whose truck crashed into the guardrail of a Northside bridge before it plummeted onto Interstate 95 on Sunday fell asleep before the impact, according to a report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The driver, Keith Dowling, spoke with News4JAX on Monday and said he was blessed to be alive.
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He told News4JAX he had no idea why he lost control, but Dowling told investigators on Sunday that he “nodded off” behind the wheel and was awoken by the crash, according to a JSO report. Dowling said he last remembered traveling westbound on Clark Road.
JSO issued Dowling a citation for careless driving.
The crash has sparked safety concerns about the guardrails on the bridge.
A 2021 report notes the railings do not meet currently accepted standards and transitions to the bridge are also not acceptable. However, the overall bridge condition is listed as “Good.”
And it’s not the first time a vehicle has gone over the bridge an onto the highway.
In October 2021, 31-year-old Sean Tumlin and his daughter Grace, 3, died when their SUV went over. His 8-year-old daughter was also seriously hurt.
MORE: Mother heartbroken after losing fiancé, 3-year-old daughter in I-95 crash
With two crashes in about two years, many are worried the bridge isn’t safe. News4JAX took those concerns to the Florida Department of Transportation, the City of Jacksonville and the councilman who represents the district, Reggie Gaffney Jr.
District 8 councilmember Gaffney said he’s now looking into the issue after he learned about the crashes, setting up a meeting with city engineers and FDOT officials.
“This a priority,” he said, while walking the bridge with News4JAX. “[The city] started working on this as soon as they heard about it. We’ve got a meeting set for this coming week. So hopefully after this meeting, I will get the status.”
Gaffney said he didn’t want to jump to conclusions until he saw the full reports from the city and police.
“It’s a big concern,” he said. “Our hope, our goal with the guardrails here, they’ve got to be strong enough. So when the car hits them, they don’t flip over. That’s my goal and my hope. I think all these bridges need to be looked at. Examined and brought up to date...the last thing I want to hear is we lose another life. We came very close this last time, but hopefully this will be the last time.”
FDOT said the state owns and inspects the Clark Road bridge but the city maintains it.
