Man dies after trying to drive through gate at Naval Air Station in Florida, authorities say

A man is dead after attempting to drive through a gate at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, Thursday morning, authorities said.

The incident happened at about 6:30 a.m. when the unidentified driver “attempted to run the Birmingham Gate at Naval Air Station Jacksonville,” according to a statement from the air base. “Gate sentries deployed the protective barrier which stopped the vehicle from entering the station. The driver is deceased and has no known military affiliation.”

Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan, a spokesperson with the Florida Highway Patrol, said the adult male driver was involved in a suspected hit-and-run crash about 2.5 miles north of the Air Station before he crashed into the gate. That driver fled the initial collision, which Bryan said was minor, shortly before reaching the gate.

The driver was not being pursued by law enforcement or pedestrian drivers, Bryan said.

The driver died from the collision at the Air Station, “and from the collision only,” Bryan said. The driver was declared dead at the scene, he said.

WJXT of Jacksonville reported the Birmingham Gate is the southernmost entrance to the Air Station off of U.S. 17. The main entrance is the Yorktown Gate.

The incident caused a backup on U.S. 17, the news outlet reported.