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Wheelchair user killed crossing Hodges Boulevard as pedestrian deaths mount in Duval County

A man in his late 60s using a wheelchair was struck and killed by a pickup truck early Wednesday while crossing Hodges Boulevard outside a marked crosswalk, the 24th pedestrian death in Duval County this year.

Wheelchair user killed crossing Hodges Boulevard as pedestrian deaths mount in Duval County

A man in his late 60s who used a wheelchair was struck and killed by a pickup truck early Wednesday morning while crossing Hodges Boulevard near Fario Road, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

The crash happened around 6:45 a.m. in the 3200 block of Hodges Boulevard, near its intersection with Beach Boulevard. Police said the man, described as a transient, was crossing Hodges outside a marked crosswalk when he was hit by a silver Ford F-150 traveling south. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

The truck's driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with detectives, JSO said. No charges have been announced, and police have not released the victim's name.

All lanes of Hodges Boulevard at Beach Boulevard were blocked for hours during the investigation, snarling the morning commute through one of the Southside's busiest corridors. The roadway reopened later in the day.

The death is the 143rd traffic fatality in Duval County in 2026 and the 24th involving a pedestrian, according to JSO. The tally underscores a persistent and growing danger on Jacksonville's streets, where wide, high-speed arterial roads and long gaps between marked crossings leave people on foot and in wheelchairs especially exposed.

Hodges Boulevard at Beach Boulevard is a sprawling, multi-lane intersection flanked by commercial development, with crosswalk spacing that can force pedestrians to travel well out of their way to cross safely. For residents who rely on wheelchairs or walkers, those gaps can turn a short trip into an impossible one — a factor that safety advocates say contributes to pedestrian deaths nationwide.

Wednesday's crash came on Veterans Day, when traffic patterns across the city were already disrupted by holiday events and parades.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

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