4 people killed in crash on Florida’s Buckman Bridge

Imagine heading home from lunch out at your favorite restaurant or heading home after picking up your children from school. You’re with your family members, enjoying your ride home and trying to make the journey as safe as possible. Suddenly, you’re struck by a vehicle from behind, and the impact results in a fire and multiple deaths.

That’s what a family in this case out of Jacksonville, Florida, is dealing with. According to the story from March 2, there were two children and two adults killed when the SUV they were inside was struck and burst into flames. Three other people inside the vehicle were injured but survived, and they were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

So what happened to cause this tragic accident? Police aren’t entirely sure of the cause, but the Florida Department of Transportation has shown that a tractor-trailer rear-ended the SUV on the Buckman Bridge. It’s been suggested that the SUV may have been slowing down at the time of the accident, but the semi wasn’t able to stop soon enough to prevent a collision. On top of that, another SUV behind the semi also crashed thanks to this collision.

Living in Florida, you may already know this bridge for the highly publicized accidents that have taken place there. In 2010, a 41-year-old mother was cut off by a drunk driver and flipped her car off the bridge. Then, in 2014, a man’s truck was hit, causing it to go over the side of the bridge. The man inside died.

The Department of Transportation officials have said that the bridge is safe, but people need to be wary of their speeds. The team working with the accident is now reviewing the bridge for structural damage.

Source: News 4 Jax, “2 adults, 2 children killed in fiery Buckman Bridge crash” Marques White, Scott Johnson, Francesca Amiker, Mar. 02, 2015