JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man died on Tuesday morning after he was hit by an SUV and an off-duty police officer while attempting to walk across the Arlington Expressway, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The agency said the crash occurred around 5 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Arlington Expressway, just before the Arlington Road overpass.
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Shortly after the victim was struck, JSO says, an off-duty police officer who was traveling to work was notified by someone who witnessed the initial crash.
JSO said that the officer saw the SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe, further down the road with its flashers on and began heading toward the vehicle.
However, while driving toward the SUV, the officer saw “a dark object laying across the center of both lanes and tried to avoid striking it,” JSO said. “But the wheels of the police car ran over the pedestrian.”
JSO said the man who died was in his mid-30s, but he was not identified.
A witness told investigators that just prior to the crash, the male stumbled down the grass embankment just north of the westbound lanes of Arlington Expressway before attempting to cross the expressway and being struck by a vehicle.
The crash diverted drivers onto Mill Creek Road, causing significant traffic delays for anyone using the Matthews Bridge to head downtown. However, the roadway has reopened and traffic has resumed flowing normally.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, this is the 119th traffic death in Duval County in 2024. The agency adds that it is the 31st fatal traffic incident involving a pedestrian.
