Traffic backed up on U.S. 17 this morning after man died trying to ram a gate into Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
Gate sentries deployed a protective barrier that stopped the vehicle from entering the station at the Birmingham Gate, the southernmost gate, about 6:30 a.m., NAS said in a news release.
The driver has no known military affiliation. NAS released no information about his motives. WJCT News partner News4Jax reported that the man was fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run crash on Roosevelt Boulevard at Timuquana Road.
Anyone who saw the NAS crash is asked to contact the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at (808) 478-8353.
The Birmingham Gate will remain closed until further notice. Drivers were advised to enter the station through the Yorktown or Allegheny gates.