Pickup Truck Goes Over Buckman Bridge After Rear-End Collision

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on March 1, 2023

There are more questions than answers today as authorities with the Florida Highway Patrol investigate the death of a Jacksonville resident after an auto accident caused his pickup truck to fall over the side of Buckman Bridge Tuesday morning.

Preliminary crash details from Florida Highway Patrol troopers indicate that it was close to 3:30 a.m. on February 28, 2023, when a 61-year-old man from Jacksonville was driving a Toyota pickup truck down the northbound lanes of Interstate 295. Early reports state that as this driver was travelling along Buckman Bridge, his pickup was rear-ended by a 23-year-old man driving a Florida Department of Transportation tow truck.

Immediately after the initial auto accident occurred, the pickup truck crashed into a nearby safety guardrail and a light pole before rolling over the side of the bridge and into the St. Johns River with the driver still inside the vehicle.

Several emergency response crews were dispatched to Buckman Bridge, including a team of divers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. After several hours of searching the St. Johns River just below the bridge, the pickup was pulled from the water. The 61-year-old driver of the truck has yet to be located.

The other driver involved in this incident is a 23-year-old Road Ranger with the Florida Department of Transportation. Road Rangers are employed by the FDOT and are typically tasked with surveilling the interstate systems in order to help stranded motorists with simple vehicle repairs and issues, like flat tires and dead batteries. He was unharmed during the deadly accident and remained at the scene to speak with the responding officers.

“As of right now we do not feel or think that this will be a criminal investigation in any way. We don’t think there is any impairment or any negligence or any of that nature at this point, but again if charges are warranted, they will be issued at the conclusion at this point,” said Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan in a statement to the media.

Since 1977, Florida wrongful death lawyer James O. Cunningham has compassionately represented families who have lost a loved one in an auto accident. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.