CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Only Action News Jax is hearing from Scott Hakes, the Jacksonville man hit head-on in what the Florida Highway Patrol has described as a wrong-way crash near Clay High School on Wednesday morning.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office shut down all lanes of SR-16 for hours after the crash happened at around 6:50 a.m., as parents and students were driving toward the high school in Green Cove Springs.
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The crash report from FHP said an 18-year-old driver had been driving in the wrong lane, hit the back of a pickup truck, and then hit another pickup truck head-on.
Scott Hakes spoke on the phone with Action News Jax from his hospital bed and said he had no time to react before the car hit him.
“Before I could blink or even think to do anything, that car took up my lane, hauling a**, and smoked me,” said Hakes.
FHP said the 18-year-old driver who hit Hakes’ pickup truck died. We’re still working to learn the name of the driver, but Hakes told us he remembers being worried about losing his own life as he rode the ambulance to the hospital.
“There was a point where I was like, damn, this is my last day,” Hakes said, “but I had to, kinda, stay strong. I got a daughter at the house. But it looks like I might be alright.”
Some people living near the crash site, the intersection at SR-16 and Randall Road, have become more dangerous in recent years. They tell Action News Jax they hope someone steps up to make the roads safer.
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“It’s a major priority,” said Darrell Smith, who lives on a street right next to the crash site, “accidents happen, there was a fatality this morning, you got to do something eventually.”
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has a record of crashes around the state. The agency is reporting 17 people have died this year from crashes in Clay County this year, not including the 18-year-old who died in the crash by Clay High School.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) maintains SR-16, where the crash happened. FDOT does not have any planned projects along the road right now, and, by law, Clay County crews can’t do any work on the road without going through FDOT.
Hakes tells Action News Jax he’s not thinking about the roads as much as the road ahead.
“Pray for me, pray for my recovery,” Hakes said, “it’ll be a long time before I get back to work.”
A fundraiser has been started to help pay for Scott’s hospital bills, groceries, and other costs while he’s out of work. If you would like to donate, you can do so by clicking the link here.
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