- Three serious accidents on and near the JFK Causeway within a 24-hour period left one dead and multiple injured.
- The JFK Causeway is the only direct route on and off the island.
- People who drive to and from the island frequently are concerned for their safety on the bridge.
- TXDOT does not have any plans to reduce the speed limit on the bridge soon.
Over the course of 24 hours, three major car accidents took place on and near the JFK Causeway. One two-vehicle-accident occurred on the causeway, one three-vehicle accident took place just after the bridge at the intersection of Park Road 22 and Jackfish Avenue, and a single-vehicle fatal accident happened on SPID eastbound and Jonnell Street, going towards the island. The two-vehicle accident shut down the causeway for several hours on Sunday.
“I think it was at least a few hours. Some island residents were saying it was backed up for a while back there,” Jonathan Vela, Fire/Paramedic Captain Nueces County ESD #2 said.
The people involved in the three-vehicle and the two-vehicle accidents were treated for minor injuries.
“However, that one appeared to be pretty serious. It was two vehicles that flipped. One passenger was trapped inside. We were able to extricate her fairly quickly and I believe she was doing okay," Jonathan Vela, Fire/Paramedic Captain Nueces County ESD #2 said.
Since this chain of serious car accidents, people who drive to and from the island frequently are concerned fordriver'ss safety.
“If everyone just did the speed limit, it probably wouldn’t be an issue at all. But some people wanna go under, some people wanna go over, so it’s just chaos," Hailey Born, an employee who works on Padre Island said.
The JFK Causeway is the only direct route to and from the island.
“We have drivers from all over. And you know, it’s hard just having so many people from different places all traveling, all one way. There’s only one way to get on and off the island," Born said.
In a statement from TxDOT, "Summertime in Texas is the height of travel season, which means scores of people will be hitting the highways for long road trips with many ending up at Coastal Bend beaches and sharing the road with local residents. Using public education campaigns throughout the year, TxDOT urges all drivers to do their part to be safe and drive smart. Practice patience and share the road with others. The life you save could be your own."
TxDOT does not have any plans in the near future to lower the speed limit on the causeway. TxDOT and first responders in Nueces County encourage drivers to always wear their seatbelts, drive friendly, drive sober, drive the speed limit, do not text and drive, to obey traffic controls, and to always stay alert.
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