A chaotic St. Johns County intersection that has seen fatalities and frequent wrecks in recent years claimed another life this week.
A 63-year-old Ponte Vedra woman was killed in a violent collision at the intersection at U.S. 1 at Pine Island Road in St. Augustine Wednesday morning, officials said.
The victim was attempting to make a left-hand turn from Pine Island Road onto the main highway — a notoriously challenging task during heavy traffic that requires crossing several lanes.
An SUV driven by a 19-year-old from St. Augustine struck the woman’s driver’s side, propelling her into a 35-year-old Jacksonville man’s trailer attached to his truck.
He had been waiting in a median to turn onto U.S. 1 North.
In a Facebook post, St. Johns County Fire Rescue said one of the drivers involved in the accident had to be extricated from their vehicle.
The 63-year-old was pronounced dead, while the teen did not suffer any injuries.
“We’ve responded to a lot of accidents at that intersection,” St. Johns County Fire Rescue spokesperson Chris Naff told The Citizen, confirming at least one prior fatality prior to this week’s accident.
In February of 2023, an 84-year-old man died after his sedan collided with the side of a semi-truck attempting to turn left onto northbound U.S. 1 from the center median at Pine Island Road.
Amid growing public concern, the county moved to install a traffic light at the intersection, which often backs up onto Pine Island Road as skittish drivers attempt to negotiate the vehicular gauntlet.
The signal installation is ongoing.
SJCFR said FHP and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the circumstances of Wednesday’s crash.
