JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two people died and another was injured in a crash Wednesday afternoon on the Buckman Bridge, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The crash, which happened about 1:15 p.m., shut down all southbound lanes of Interstate 295 on the bridge for nearly three hours. Two southbound lanes reopened about 4 p.m. and, as of 4:40 p.m., all southbound lanes were back open.
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The Highway Patrol told News4Jax that two vehicles — a Toyota Prius and a Ford F-150 — were involved in the wreck.
According to an FHP report, the Prius was stopped in the right lane of I-295 due to mechanical issues when it was rear-ended by the pickup truck. Both vehicles caught fire after the collision.
Troopers said two people inside the Prius died. Their identities have not yet been released.
The driver of the pickup — a 41-year-old man from Brandon, Florida — suffered minor injuries, troopers said.
According to the FHP report, charges are pending.
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Previous Buckman Bridge crashes
In March 2015, a woman and three children were killed in a fiery crash on the Buckman Bridge. Their SUV stalled in traffic, and it was rear-ended by a semi. The SUV hit the guardrail and burst into flames. The Department of Transportation conducted a safety review after that crash and found that the bridge is safe, that spectacular crashes that take place on the bridge are invariably the result of human error.
In 2014, a car went off the Buckman Bridge into the river, killing the driver.
In 2012, a car overturned and a passenger was ejected over the rail into the river. He was rescued with minor injuries.
In 2010, a woman was killed when her SUV went off the Buckman Bridge and into the river after being struck by an impaired driver. The driver was later tried and convicted, and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In 1999, two people were killed when their pickup truck collided with a semi and went over the rail into the river. The semi was swerving to avoid a ladder on the bridge.