Search on for driver of vehicle that fell off bridge into Florida river, cops say

A Toyota pickup plummeted over the side of the Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville, igniting a desperate search of the river below, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

It’s unknown how many people were in the pickup, but “we believe this crash to be a fatality,” the highway patrol said on Twitter.

A 61-year-old Jacksonville man was the driver and he is believed to have died, officials said. His name has not been released.

The two-vehicle crash happened around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, and the other vehicle involved was a Florida Department of Transportation Road Ranger, troopers said.

“As a result of the collision, the Toyota traveled onto the right shoulder and struck the concrete barrier wall,” the highway patrol reports.

“After colliding with the wall, the Toyota traveled over the wall and plunged into the water below. The cause of the initial collision is under investigation.”

The 23-year-old man driving the Road Ranger pickup was not injured, officials said.

Photos showed several feet of skid marks led straight to a concrete barrier on the side of the bridge. Glass and other debris show where the car struck the barrier.

Two lanes of the bridge were blocked as a crane was brought in to assist in retrieving the sunken vehicle.

Investigators have not said how far the vehicle fell before striking the water below.

The Henry H. Buckman Sr. Bridge is 3 miles long about 65 feet above the St. Johns River and does not have space for pedestrians.

Florida’s Road Ranger vehicles are pickups assigned to roam “high incident locations,” offering free roadside assistance to drivers as a means of clearing traffic lanes.

This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Search on for driver of vehicle that fell off bridge into Florida river, cops say."