JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s a busy day on the roads as millions return home on Memorial Day. Ensuring your safety on the highway is a top priority for the Florida Highway Patrol.
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On Memorial Day, Action News Jax rode along with FHP’s Auxiliary Unit who stopped to help with broken-down cars and abandoned vehicles.
One vehicle affected was Ricardo Pardo and his family. They were headed from Starke to the St. John’s River to spend Memorial Day on the water.
“It is what it is you know, we have to enjoy the day,” said Ricardo.
Their truck towing a boat broke down on I-295 near Baymeadows.
“One of the cylinders just blew off so I got this spark plug in my hand,” said Manny Pardo.
“We were able to get a tow truck for their truck and they are going to remove their boat with the other vehicle,” said Donald Flynn, the major of the FHP Troop G Auxiliary Unit.
Major Flynn said the auxiliary can manage these types of calls for service more efficiently to allow full-time troopers to focus on the larger cases.
Broken-down cars are something Major Flynn saw a lot of throughout the holiday weekend.
“A majority of those people that were broken down were from out of town, so they were not sure logistically where they were located and how they could get assistance,” said Major Flynn.
As Major Flynn volunteers his time to ensure drivers like Ricardo and Manny are safe on the highway, he wants to encourage others to give themselves time to get to their destination.
“I think if people just take their time, plan accordingly you can get to where you are going safely, and if it takes an extra 30 seconds or 1 minute, that 30 seconds or 1 minute might save your life,” said Major Flynn.
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