St. Johns County’s most dangerous intersection continues to wreak havoc on local motorists, with yet another collision reported around noon Thursday at U.S. 1 and Pine Island Road.
Fortunately, no significant injuries were reported this time, and no one required hospital transport, St. Johns County Fire Rescue spokesman Chris Naff told The Citizen.
The intersection has long been a source of concern for local drivers and officials alike.
The chaotic junction has seen numerous serious crashes over the years, including fatalities.
Just last month, a tragic accident at the same intersection claimed the life of a 63-year-old woman from Ponte Vedra.
She attempted to make a left turn from Pine Island Road onto U.S. 1, a notoriously difficult maneuver due to heavy traffic, multiple lanes to cross and no traffic signal to maintain order.
Her vehicle was struck on the driver’s side by an SUV driven by a 19-year-old St. Augustine resident, which propelled her into a trailer attached to a truck waiting in the median to turn onto U.S. 1 North.
Emergency responders had to extricate one of the drivers involved, but the Ponte Vedra woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The teen driver was not injured.
Prior incidents also include a fatality last February when an 84-year-old man died after a collision involving a semi-truck at the same location.
Traffic lights have now been erected at the intersection but are not yet activated. Officials have said they are working to get them operational as soon as possible.
