A Jacksonville police officer was killed Friday night following a head on collision with a tractor trailer truck in the 10700 block of Busch Drive, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Officer Tchenter Wilson was driving down Busch Drive, about 8:30 p.m. when the collision occurred, highway patrol sergeant Dylan Bryan said.
Wilson's sport utility vehicle burst into flames after the collision, right in front of Fire Station No. 37 , he said.
"The driver of the tractor trailer was not harmed and was able to exit the vehicle safely since (the) fire ignited," Bryan said.
The front end of the sport utility vehicle was crushed in the accident. Wilson was transported to UF Health but later died, Brian said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office initially investigated the accident, then turned it over to the Florida Highway Patrol.
One new piece of evidence is a video shot by another motorist just before the accident.
"It does show the sport utility vehicle crossed the center line of this two lane highway," Bryan said. "However that does not document exactly what happened at the point of collision. That was pre-crash."
Busch Drive was closed from 8:30 p.m. until about midnight for accident investigation and clean up, police said.
The Sheriff's Office issued the following statement from Sheriff John Rutherford:
"This is a sad day for the men and women of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Officer Tchenter Wilson, a 15 year veteran of our agency, was killed tonight in a crash, while off duty in his personal vehicle. Anytime we lose one of our JSO family it is difficult. Our prayers are with the Wilson family, and we stand ready to assist them and his many friends in any way we can."
