JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jeremy Kline shared the scary moments of how a hit-and-run nearly killed him Friday morning. It happened around 3 a.m. as he was exiting I-295 Northbound at St. Johns Bluff.
He was on his way home from work when he said another driver ran him off the road going at a high rate of speed. Tire tracks still visible in the grass leading to the pond.
“Everything started spinning before I realized what happened,” Kline said.
He added that he hit his head on the steering wheel and briefly lost consciousness. When he woke-up, his engine was still running in the water, so he rolled down the window and climbed out.
“When I jumped across a few moments later it was completely submerged,” Kline said.
A Florida Highway Patrol report classifies the case as a hit-and-run. One witness only able to describe the fleeing vehicle as silver.
This is not the first time Kline has been run off the road either.
Back in August 2018, another incident led to his car turning over. He spent days in the hospital then.
He said this time, doctors diagnosed him with a concussion. He's still cleared to work, he explained with a smile.
“I’ve got nine lives I guess,” Kline said.
First Coast News reached-out to FDOT about possible barriers near the area.
A spokesman said in this case, the ramp is built to federal standards. The group would need to look at spacing next to the road – but that fencing may not have helped in this situation.