The Saturday collision closed part of a busy north-side roadway for hours as investigators examined the scene.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Residents near Edgewood Avenue expressed disbelief and grief after two teenage boys were killed Saturday in a three-vehicle crash that left two other people hospitalized.
The collision happened about 11:15 a.m. July 25 near Edgewood Avenue West and Smyrna Street on Jacksonville’s north side. Police blocked traffic while emergency crews worked to reach people inside the vehicles and homicide investigators began documenting the crash.
A woman who lives in the area told Action News Jax that she arrived while police tape and emergency vehicles surrounded the intersection. She said tow crews were removing the vehicles and described the damage as difficult to comprehend.
“It’s like if it had gone through a compactor,” the woman said of one of the damaged vehicles. She asked not to be identified.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said a Dodge 3500 pickup towing a large steel trailer loaded with two vehicles was traveling east on Edgewood Avenue. The pickup struck the back of a Toyota Camry, pushing it into a Ford Ranger and through the intersection.
The pickup eventually came to rest on top of the Camry, police said. Two teenage passengers inside the Camry died at the scene. Their identities had not been released as of Sunday.
Fire rescue crews removed the Camry’s driver, who was taken to a hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. The Ford Ranger’s driver was hospitalized in stable condition and was expected to survive.
The neighbor said learning that teenagers had died made the scene especially painful. “It’s really horrible; it’s really sad that it was teenagers that were involved,” she said.
Police kept the area closed for much of the afternoon as investigators examined the vehicles and roadway. News crews saw the scene being cleared shortly before 5 p.m., nearly six hours after the collision.
The Dodge driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with the Traffic Homicide Unit. Investigators said speed, braking or both may have played a role, but no charges had been announced.
Edgewood Avenue later reopened. Police had not released further information about the hospitalized Camry driver or identified the teens as the investigation continued Sunday.
Author note: Last updated July 26, 2026.