Malaga Street scene of head-on collision

St Augustine police and firefighters responded to a two-car crash this evening when the driver of a black Mitsubishi SUV attempted a left turn onto Malaga Street from Ponce de Leon Boulevard, but misjudged his distance from two oncoming vehicles; just steps from their respective stations.

At the top of 5:00 p.m. rush hour traffic, the lane consolidations accommodating the San Sebastian River Bridge replacement project are dangerous — and when southbound drivers have to come to a complete stop in the outside traffic lane in order to turn left onto Malaga Street, without the benefit of the former turn lane, it is a recipe for disaster.

Historic City News spoke to the driver of the Mitsubishi who was uninjured in the head-on collision. He told us that he thought he had enough room to complete the turn when a black Cadillac SRX from Brandon, FL approached him headed north. Another vehicle, which was not involved in the crash, made it impossible for the Mitsubishi to safely complete the turn.

The Mitsubishi struck the driver’s-side rear door; spinning the SRX completely around before it came to rest in the median.

St Johns County paramedics arrived on the scene of the crash to attend a passenger in the Cadillac who was having medical difficulties because of the collision.