Two people were killed and two others hospitalized following a high-speed crash early Friday morning at the intersection of 12th Avenue and Demonbreun Street in Jacksonville.
The accident occurred around 2:45 a.m. when a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee collided with a taxi van before both vehicles crashed into the base of a nearby building. Witnesses reported that the SUV was speeding through a red light prior to the collision. The impact sent the vehicles into the storefront of a local restaurant, where the SUV caught fire.
Metro Police confirmed that the deceased – identified as Kirk Granfors, 64, and his wife, Kathy Granfors, 68, of Jacksonville, Florida – were passengers in the taxi, seated in the back at the time of the crash. The SUV driver was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. The taxi driver was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The SUV driver was identified as George A. Chaney, 37, of Nashville. He attempted fleeing the crash on foot but was unable to due to his injuries – other occupants of the SUV fled before authorities arrived.
Chaney was previously jailed in April 2019 to two concurrent 12-year sentences for heroin convictions. He got out on parole in February 2024 and was arrested in March for felony reckless endangerment with a vehicle, evading arrest, auto theft, reckless driving, and other charges – after driving a stolen Dodge Charger out of Kentucky and fleeing from officers, speeding at over 100 mph. He was released on a $49,000 bond.
Authorities suspect that street racing may have been involved, as witnesses observed multiple vehicles speeding in the area just before the crash. Investigators are also looking into whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the incident.
Surveillance footage from nearby businesses is being reviewed to help piece together the events leading up to the collision. Police have also noted that the SUV involved was reported stolen.
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