NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Five people were taken to the hospital after a police pursuit ended in a violent crash Wednesday afternoon.
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said the pursuit began at Kohls department store off S.R. 200 (A1A) when four suspects accused of theft, reportedly fled from law enforcement at around 2:30 p.m.
READ: Theft suspects driving away from deputies crashes on SR 200 in Yulee: Nassau County Sheriff’s Office
The situation escalated when the suspects struck a deputy’s vehicle and crashed into oncoming traffic at the intersection of State Road 200 and Santa Barbara Street.
The reported impact was severe, resulting in significant damage to the vehicles involved, as captured in video footage from the scene.
NCSO say the driver of the vehicle the suspects crashed into was airlifted to the hospital in serious condition.
All four suspects were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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Yulee resident Jason Ramos had been in the area when it happened. He said, “Nothing in any of these places is worth anyone’s life. At the end of the day, it’s all material to begin with.”
The crash caused major traffic delays Wednesday afternoon, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic for about two and a half hours.
Lex came into town for the holidays from Georgia yesterday and was stuck in traffic while running errands with her family today.
She said what should have been a 15- minute drive became an hour-long drive. Lex said it was a “nightmare.”
NCSO says no deputies were injured in the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is investigating.
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