JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Florida community is grieving the devastating loss of a beloved elementary school teacher and his young son, who were fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing Baymeadows Road in Jacksonville Friday night. The tragic incident has sparked renewed outrage over pedestrian safety in the area.
Mitchell Patch, a math teacher at Bayview Elementary School, had attended a large gathering at Wicked Barley Brewing Company with family and friends on May 16. Just after 8:30 p.m., Patch was leaving the restaurant while carrying his 1-year-old son, Everett, when the two were hit by an oncoming car as they attempted to cross the four-lane road.
Both father and son died from their injuries.
Now, members of the Jacksonville community are speaking out, saying the accident was not only tragic — but preventable.
“We lost a child. We lost a husband, a teacher,” said George Birnbaum, a frequent customer at Wicked Barley. “What a terrible thing to have happen. Who’s next, and when is somebody going to do something about it?”
Birnbaum and others say parking shortages at the popular restaurant often force patrons to park across the street and walk across Baymeadows Road, which has no marked pedestrian crosswalks near the restaurant and little street lighting. The route also includes a narrow bridge over Goodby’s Creek, which residents say reduces visibility and creates a dangerous situation for pedestrians — particularly at night.
With no safe crossing point in the immediate vicinity, concerned citizens are now demanding swift action from city and state officials to address the safety hazards.
A Jacksonville city councilman has reportedly contacted the city’s traffic engineering department, which has escalated the matter to the Florida Department of Transportation. Community members are calling for the installation of a clearly marked pedestrian crosswalk and improved lighting to prevent future tragedies.
Meanwhile, the school community is mourning the loss of a dedicated educator whose impact stretched far beyond the classroom.
Bayview Elementary School Principal Kelly York sent a message to families on Saturday, expressing the deep sorrow felt across the school.
“We will all certainly remember Mr. Patch for his incredible commitment to students and to the teaching profession,” York wrote. “Our sympathies go out to Mr. Patch’s family, friends, and our entire school community during this difficult time. I am deeply saddened, and I know the students, staff and family members who knew Mr. Patch will miss him tremendously.”
Patch is being remembered not only as a passionate teacher, but as a devoted father whose life revolved around his family. The deaths of both him and Everett have left a profound void in the lives of those who knew them — and a city reckoning with the need to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.