Taxi driver killed in vehicle collision – fire

Historic City News received an incident report from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit where deputies are investigating a three vehicle crash that occurred early this morning in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Deputies responded to the crash at 2:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Cranes Lake Dr.

The investigation revealed that 52 year-old James Lester Roberts of Jacksonville was driving a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis, operated by Coastal Cab Co. of Jacksonville Beach.

Roberts was traveling eastbound on Cranes Lake Dr. and drifted to the right — striking a 2009 Toyota which then struck a 2001 Dodge pickup truck.

The other two vehicles were parked and unoccupied.

Following the impact, a fire started in the engine compartment of the taxi cab. Two nearby residents, who heard the crash, rendered aid by pulling Roberts from the vehicle. Roberts was transported to Beaches Baptist Hospital where he died a short time later.

The vehicle fire was extinguished by St. Johns County Fire Rescue personnel.

It is believed that the driver may have suffered some type of medical incident causing him to drift off the road. The District Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

There was only minor damage to the unoccupied vehicles and investigators believe that speed was not an issue. Traffic Homicide Investigators are continuing the investigation.