Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Jacksonville Man Arrested After High-Speed Chase and Crash on I-95

A 30-year-old man from Jacksonville was apprehended on Monday following a high-speed pursuit that began with reports of gunfire and culminated in a collision on Interstate 95 near Golfair Boulevard. The incident resulted in severe traffic congestion for several hours.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, a police officer stationed at a gas station on Harts Road heard multiple gunshots in close proximity. In response, the officer proceeded to investigate and identified a group of individuals congregating at the River City Inn.

The group informed the officer that they had been targeted by someone driving a white Dodge truck, who had fired shots at them. Moments later, the driver of the truck, later identified as Jerson Edmond, hastily exited from the parking lot behind a nearby gas station and recklessly sped onto Harts Road. Members of the group immediately pointed and exclaimed, “That’s the truck!” according to the police report.

The officer initiated a pursuit of Edmond, following him along Dunn Avenue. Throughout the chase, Edmond flagrantly disregarded traffic regulations, running red lights, and dangerously overtaking other vehicles on the road, reaching speeds of up to 90 mph.

As the truck entered I-95, a police officer executed a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, colliding with the rear end of the truck and causing it to spin out of control before crashing into a concrete barrier.

At this point, Edmond appeared poised to escape from the truck. However, a JSO officer swiftly positioned their vehicle to block the door, effectively thwarting any potential escape, as detailed in the report.

Around a dozen additional officers promptly arrived at the scene, establishing a perimeter around the truck due to Edmond’s refusal to comply with their commands. Several officers drew their firearms during the incident. Following a brief standoff, Edmond eventually emerged from the passenger side of the truck and was safely apprehended.

Both directions of I-95 were temporarily closed at Golfair Boulevard during the incident, causing a significant backup of traffic for several miles in each direction. The road was eventually reopened after several hours of closure.

News4JAX interviewed multiple witnesses, including a man who had been returning from the airport. He recounted what he observed in his rearview mirror leading up to the crash.

“The white truck was swerving from lane to lane, with the police in pursuit. I was trying to figure out how to avoid their path. It was quite chaotic. I began to think, ‘I need to get out of their way. I have no idea what might happen,'” he stated.

Jerson Edmond has been charged with discharging a firearm near people, fleeing and eluding police, and reckless driving.

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