Navarre man ejected from vehicle on U.S. 98

Richard Clay Broxson, 23, of Navarre was seriously injured after being ejected from his truck on U.S. Highway 98 early this morning.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Broxson was driving southbound on State Road 87 on the merge lane for westbound U.S. Highway 98 around 1:35 a.m.

Broxson told FHP that as he was “negotiating the curve of the merge,” an unknown vehicle was westbound on U.S. 98 when it entered onto the merge lane in front of Broxson’s truck. FHP stated Broxson was exceeding the posted speed limit and veered to the left, crossing the westbound lanes where it struck a concrete divider for a westbound left turn lane.

Broxson tried to overcorrect to the right causing the vehicle to rotate in a clockwise direction while sliding in a northwest direction across westbound U.S. 98. The truck traveled off the roadway into a ditch and struck a utility pole and concrete cable box. The truck rebounded off the utility pole and continued to rotate clockwise. Broxson was ejected from the vehicle while it was rotating. The vehicle came to a final rest in the ditch off the north shoulder of U.S. 98 facing northeast.

Passenger Lloyd Earl Chisholm, 21, of Navarre suffered minor injuries but was not transported to the hospital. Broxson was transported to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.

FHP charged Broxson with careless driving. The driver and the passenger were not wearing seatbelts.  Alcohol was not believed to be involved.