ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A man is dead after colliding with the pedestrian bridge at the end of Highway 9B in St. Johns County. The bridge is closed off with the guard rail damaged by the wreck.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, the 35-year-old man came off 9B, hit the curb, went airborne and was launched out of the car.
It’s certainly tragic, but there’s also a certain amount of déjà vu for folks who travel Highway 9B frequently.
“Middle of the night, they just keep going straight," said Brian Eisenmenger, who travels through the area daily. "They don’t see it I guess. They keep going straight and hit the bridge.”
Eisenmenger says he drives to the end of Highway 9B about three times a day.
The 9B speed limit goes from 70 mph, to 60, to 55 to 45 within a roughly three-mile stretch before it ends at a turn onto St. Johns Parkway.
Eisenmenger knows when the slowdown is coming, but admits it’s sudden for drivers.
“Sixty-five to zero just makes no sense," said Eisenmenger. "It’s too fast for that area.”
In September of 2022, the pedestrian bridge that passes over St. Johns Parkway was shut down after a pickup truck and trailer collided with it. Just as the county started repairing it, another car collided with it that same month.
In January 2023, a tanker overturned on 9B near the intersection as children walked to school at Liberty Pines Academy.
The crashes prompted the construction of a new sidewalk on the northbound side of 9B further away from the road.
The new sidewalk addressed issues with one side, but not where three cars have hit the pedestrian bridge in less than 18 months.
“We have been working with the DOT about that," said St. Johns County Public Works Director Greg Caldwell. "Back in 22, they did a study to take a look at it to see if there’s other improvements that can be made to enhance the safety at this intersection.”
Out of that study came reflective signs with arrows indicating the turn and the idea to rest the lights before the intersection on red from 12 to 4 in the morning so drivers have to stop during the least busy commute hours.
Caldwell said they had a crew out to take a look at the damage and determine what needed to be done to reopen the bridge.
No timeline just yet on when that’ll happen – a lot will depend on whether the integrity of the bridge was compromised or if they can simply replace the railing.
In light of the deadly crash Tuesday morning, an FDOT spokesperson said the department will review the intersection to see if any changes should be made.
FDOT's full statement regarding the crash:
Our hearts break whenever we learn of a death or serious injury on the roadway. To that end, reviewing crash reports is critical to understanding causation and prevention of crashes. As the recent crash at SR 9B and St. Johns Parkway is pending investigation, FDOT directs you to law enforcement on the most recent incident.
As is standard operating procedure, FDOT reviews all reported crashes on state roadways and interstates – a special emphasis is placed on fatalities. If there are improvements that can be made to enhance the safety of the facilities, FDOT will work to implement the improvements. This process includes careful analysis by professional engineers and other evaluations that may be warranted.