Action News Jax investigates alarming number of unlicensed drivers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A motorcyclist was killed Thursday when police said a driver who should not have been behind the wheel pulled out in front of him on Crystal Springs Road on Jacksonville's Westside.

Family members confirmed the victim was 32-year-old Josh Rummel.

The driver of the SUV was detained at the scene and was arrested, He is facing charges for driving with a felony suspended license.

Action News Jax is working to learn the driver's name.

Skip Butler lives near where the crash happened.

"It was horrendous. It was a loud boom. It almost sounded like a bomb hitting. You could hear the metal just crumbling," Butler said.

He said he ran outside and tried to comfort Rummel until he took his final breath.

"It was hard," Butler said.

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An Action News Jax investigation found that so far this year, 11,924 tickets have been issued in Duval County for driving while a license is suspended, revoked, canceled, or disqualified.

That compares with 16,106 in 2018.

"It just shows you how irresponsible people are getting," Butler said. "They need to go back and think about what they're doing before they get behind the wheel."

He said unlicensed drivers put lives in danger every time they make the decision to get behind the wheel.

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Cox Media Group