Mitchell Patch and his 1-year-old son Everett were killed while crossing Baymeadows Road on Friday, May 16, 2025. | GoFundMe via News4Jax
Published on May 19, 2025 at 3:37 pm
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A man who was killed with his 1-year-old son while crossing Baymeadows Road on Friday night has been identified as a Duval teacher, the district told News4Jax on Monday.
According to Duval County Public Schools, Mitchell Patch was a math teacher at Bayview Elementary.
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Patch and his 1-year-old son, Everett, were killed around 8:30 p.m. Friday after being hit by a car traveling in the eastbound lanes of Baymeadows Road.
Bayview Elementary Principal Kelly York sent a message to the school’s families on Saturday to share the news of Patch’s death.
“We will all certainly remember Mr. Patch for his incredible commitment to students and to the teaching profession. He was a dedicated educator and well-loved and respected member of our Brave family,“ the message said. ”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.”
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Dylan Williams, manager at Wicked Barley Brewing Company, told News4Jax on Monday that Patch was part of a large party that was being held at the establishment.
“We were in the middle of a rush when it happened. Next thing you know, we just started seeing flashing lights. It started getting bigger. So we kind of figured something more intense happened,” Williams said. “We had a large group of family members mourning. It was very tragic.”
The incident has also raised concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety in the area.
“If we could have our city look at maybe some kind of crosswalk or some kind of pedestrian lights for our area to help keep people safe. That’d be incredible,” Williams said.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, two crashes have been reported in this location so far this year, including this incident.
The other incident was a hit-and-run in a business parking lot, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A GoFundMe campaign was created to help Patch’s wife cover funeral costs and other expenses related to the death of her husband and son.
The Sheriff’s Office said the driver was taken to a hospital and was cooperating with investigators.
So far this year, Duval County has reported 62 traffic fatalities, including 12 involving pedestrians.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
