ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — State Road 16 has had a string of fatal accidents, including a weekend collision involving a local law enforcement officer that left one person dead.
Three deadly crashes have occurred on SR16 in a span of just 10 days, turning the corridor into a focal point of fear and frustration for area residents.
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The latest tragedy occurred Saturday night around 8:00 p.m. at the intersection of State Road 16 and Stratton Boulevard. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a St. Johns County Sheriff’s deputy was driving west in a patrol SUV when a 68-year-old woman attempted to make a left turn, entering the deputy’s path.
The patrol vehicle struck the driver’s side of her car. The woman sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. The deputy was transported to a local hospital with injuries, an official crash report later revealed the deputy was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the impact.
For community members, the weekend fatality is a symptom of a much larger, escalating crisis. Longtime residents say rapid regional development has brought an influx of vehicles, transforming the road into a high-speed hazard.
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“It’s dangerous on this road,” said Melissa Santorelli, who has driven State Road 16 for more than 20 years. “They fly down this road like it’s the Daytona 500.”
Fellow resident Sydney Miller echoed those concerns, noting that “people speed through here like crazy.”
Beyond driver behavior, locals are pointing to infrastructure deficiencies at the crash site. While streetlights have been installed at the intersection of State Road 16 and Stratton Boulevard, the lights are covered and not yet operational.
“It bothers me that they put people in situations that don’t need to be put in that situation,” Santorelli said, emphasizing the daily risks of navigating the dark corridor. “This is a busy, this is a main thoroughfare.”
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We reached out to both the Florida Highway Patrol and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office to ask whether the deputy involved in Saturday’s crash was responding to a call for service.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office responded with:
The deputy was responding to a call for service at the time of the crash Saturday night. He suffered serious injuries, and is expected to be okay.
The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate what caused Saturday night’s crash.
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