Man Killed in Semi-Truck Accident on US 1 in Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville, FL -- February 21, 2023, one person was killed after an accident where a semi-truck crashed with a car on US 1.
From preliminary reports, it appears that the incident happened just before 6:30 a.m. along US Highway 1 at the intersection of Pine Island Road. Initial details paint a very concerning picture.
It appears that an 84-year-old man was in a sedan going southbound along the highway in the outside lane. Police say that a tractor-trailer was ahead of him also going southbound. That tractor-trailer attempted to turn across the median into northbound lanes, during which the sedan crashed into the trailer.
The driver of the car died as a result of the collision while no one else was hurt. Reports do not say at this time if any charges or citations are being considered. Frankly, if they're not, then that would mean something incredibly unlikely happened here. From the preliminary information I see in the news, I find it very challenging to envision a scenario in which a responsible, attentive truck driver would have been in an accident like this. Why is that?
First of all, the early details I saw about this crash simply described the crash, and I immediately saw big red flags. If both vehicles were going the same direction, and the victim was in the outside lane, that implied that the tractor-trailer was blocking all lanes of travel while making a u-turn. From other reports, pictures of the crash scene seem to confirm that's exactly what happened. Depending on why this driver made the turn and what precautions they took (if any), this may be a clear example of why making a u-turn in a commercial truck is almost always reckless.
I've known companies that would outright fire a driver for doing a maneuver like this, even if they did so without incident. It's inherently dangerous to block lanes of travel with a massive 18-wheeler, so it should be avoided if at all possible—even when it's technically legal. In situations where it can't be avoided, responsible companies know to have co-workers on the scene flagging down traffic with high visibility gear to make absolutely certain there is ample warning for drivers. If those precautions were taken here, then somehow every media outlet failed to notice.
Like I said, this could be some unusual circumstance that even a responsible truck driver couldn't avoid. But in almost every situation like this that a family has come to me with, someone ended up being held accountable for serious mistakes that could have been avoided. It remains to be seen if the same would prove true here, but I think everyone will agree a man losing his life warrants getting those answers as soon as possible.
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