Pedestrian struck by car on Palm Valley Road

SJSO says man jumped in front of vehicle

Posted

Jacksonville resident Robenson Watson, 24, was injured this past Saturday, Sept. 1 when he was struck by a car at the intersection of Palm Valley Road and Ranch Road in Ponte Vedra, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

Per SJSO Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan, St. Augustine resident Richard Thatcher, 54, was driving along Palm Valley Road at approximately 1:35 a.m. when Watson, who had been walking along the shoulder of the road, suddenly jumped in front of his vehicle. Thatcher called the police, and when deputies arrived on the scene, Watson proceeded to jump in front of their vehicle as well. Watson — who Mulligan described as acting erratically and potentially under the influence or suffering from a medical condition — then attempted to fight the deputies, but was eventually wrestled to the ground. He was then transported to Memorial Hospital for treatment.

In the initial incident report released by the Florida Highway Patrol, Thatcher was identified as a deputy with SJSO. Mulligan, however, stated that the initial report was incorrect in that regard, as Thatcher is not employed there.