JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man is dead and traffic shut down on parts a busy Jacksonville road early Friday morning after the car he was driving crashed into a tree, according to investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

JSO Sgt. Steve Hungerford said the crash was reported around 4:30 a.m. Friday after a driver headed north on Kernan Boulevard took the exit ramp for Beach Boulevard.

Hungerford said the driver misjudged the exit ramp, causing him to leave the roadway, run up a curb and hit a tree. Hungerford said there were no immediate indicators of impairment, but speed “probably” played a role in the crash.

The man, who Hungerford said is in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

This is the 74th traffic death in Duval County in 2025.

Parts of Beach Boulevard at Kernan Boulevard will be shut down for at least an hour while investigators work to learn more about what happened. Avoid the area for now.