JSO Sgt. Robert Hungerford said the vehicle that crashed was seen driving suspiciously in the area of an attempted auto theft that took place just before the crash.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A crash in Jacksonville’s San Marco area early Friday morning has left two people dead and two others hurt, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
JSO Sgt. Robert Hungerford said the crash happened around 3:42 a.m. at the intersection of Nira Street and Kings Avenue.
Hungerford said a Chevrolet Trailblazer was northbound on Kings Avenue when the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a telephone and power pole.
Members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department then responded to the scene and pronounced one of the occupants of the vehicle dead. Hungerford said there were four people inside the Chevrolet, all of whom were males. The three other males were taken to a local hospital, Hungerford said, where one of them died. The third victim is in critical condition and the fourth, a juvenile, is “stable.”
Hungerford said the Nira Street-Kings Avenue intersection will be shut down for at least another hour, “probably two.”
This crash marks as the 18th and 19th traffic fatality in Duval County in 2026.
Hungerford further stated that “speed was definitely a factor” in the crash. He said that while it is still under investigation, it appears that the Chevrolet is connected to an attempted auto theft that took place just before the crash happened, as witnesses reported to police that the SUV was driving around suspiciously in the area of the attempted car theft.
At 3:42 a.m., Hungerford said patrol officers were dispatched to the attempted auto theft along Claremont Road.
When officers arrived, Hungerford said they found a vehicle’s steering column destroyed.
After witnesses reported that the Chevrolet was driving around the area suspiciously, the incident was sent out to officers via radio, according to Hungerford. A responding nearby officer then located the Chevrolet and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on it, but the vehicle fled.
Hungerford said officers didn’t chase after the Chevrolet “in an abundance of caution.”
“The need to apprehend the suspects was outweighed by the safety of the community, so they didn’t pursue the vehicle,” Hungerford said.
Hungerford added that the Chevrolet that crashed was reported stolen in January.
“There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle,” Hungerford said. “We don’t have information on the occupants of the vehicle.”
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call JSO’s non-emergency number at 904-630-0500. To provide information anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.