The case of a driver who vanished during a chain-reaction bridge crash got even more baffling when her body turned up a week later — in the river below, according to investigators in North Florida. Jareesha Wilkerson’s cause of death has not been released, but the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case as a “traffic homicide,” officials said in a Dec. 18 update.
The crash happened Sunday, Dec. 8, on the 1.5-mile-long Matthews Bridge, and first responders were on scene within 8 minutes, the sheriff’s office says. “Officers responded to the top of the structure for a multi-vehicle crash and found Wilkerson’s disabled vehicle but noticed she was not present. They learned from a loved one that the car had broken down on the bridge,” the sheriff’s office said. “Crews spoke to the drivers on the scene, but none reported seeing anyone walking off the bridge or going over the side.”
An investigation revealed 27-year-old Wilkerson’s stalled car was struck from behind by a pickup, and the pickup was then struck by an SUV, the sheriff’s office says.
Another three-vehicle crash then occurred in a nearby traffic lane, officials said. The sheriff’s office sent a rescue boat and a dive team to search the St. Johns River below the bridge, but they found no trace of the driver, officials said. “Ten patrol officers and three sergeants responded to the bridge to work the crashes and attempt to locate Ms. Wilkerson,” the sheriff’s office said. “Officers contacted her loved ones, attempted to reach her at multiple phone numbers, visited addresses associated with her, and checked area hospitals and jails, but she could not be located. They discovered her phone in her disabled vehicle.” Wilkerson’s body was located in the river Sunday, Dec. 15 — about 3.5 miles from the bridge, officials said. “Homicide detectives responded to the scene, and the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy,” the sheriff’s office said. “Traffic Homicide Unit detectives are now leading the investigation into her death.”