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The family of Edward Hopkins Jr. is determined to find closure after a hit-and-run incident left him injured.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The search for justice continues for a Jacksonville family after 66-year-old Edward Hopkins Jr. was hit by a car while he was in his motorized wheelchair, with the driver failing to stop.
Details from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office crash report reveal the incident took place at approximately 7:15 p.m. on October 16, 2025, in the vicinity of Terry Road and Randy Road.
The report indicates that Hopkins was operating his motorized wheelchair along the south shoulder of Terry Road, heading east, when a vehicle traveling in the same direction veered off the road, collided with him, and then left the area without stopping.
In the aftermath, the family revisited the accident site almost a day later, where they found remnants of the wheelchair and vehicle parts scattered on the ground. Among the debris, they identified a bumper they suspect belongs to a white Hyundai Elantra.
The responding officer wrote Hopkins was “laying on the sidewalk on the south side of Terry Road” and that his wheelchair had “suffered major damage.”
Hopkins told his older sister and legal guardian, Pat Bales, he had been heading home and didn’t remember being hit, only that he later woke up in pain.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews transported Hopkins to Memorial Hospital, where his family says he remains hospitalized with broken ribs, a fractured back, and a long recovery ahead.
With no leads and no suspect vehicle identified, the report concluded, “Case suspended pending information regarding [the driver].”
Hopkins’ family says they returned to the scene nearly 24 hours later and found pieces of the damaged wheelchair and car parts still scattered along the roadside — including a bumper believed to belong to a white Hyundai Elantra.
After interviewing with First Coast News, Hopkins’ sister Tyshelle Hunter sent an update they called JSO to come by and provided the evidence they collected from the scene.
The family’s discovery underscores concerns about pedestrian and wheelchair safety on local roads, prompting renewed calls for caution and awareness among drivers.
If you have any information on the driver who hit Edward Hopkins around 7:19 p.m. Thursday Oct 16 at the intersection of Terry Road and Randy Road, call Crimestoppers at 866-845-tips.