On Saturday, a serious incident occurred in Florida when a fire truck, with its lights activated, bypassed lowered rail crossing arms and collided with a high-speed passenger train after it had initially stopped for another train to pass. This event, which resulted in injuries to three firefighters and around twelve train passengers, unfolded around 10:45 a.m. in bustling downtown Delray Beach. Video footage captured the aftermath, showing the Brightline train halted on the tracks with substantial front-end damage, while the fire truck bore the brunt of the impact, losing its ladder several yards away, as reported by local media.
The Delray Beach Fire Rescue confirmed via social media that the firefighters involved were in stable condition at a hospital following the accident. Additionally, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue transported twelve individuals from the train to a medical facility for treatment of minor injuries.
According to a source familiar with the accident details, who chose to remain unnamed due to ongoing investigations, the fire truck had come to a stop at the crossing, awaiting the passage of a freight train before driving around the lowered gates. Footage from the collision depicted the fire truck moving past vehicles halted at the crossing, its emergency lights blinking as it crossed onto the double tracks.
Witness Emmanuel Amaral, who heard the incident from his location two blocks away while having breakfast, arrived quickly on his golf cart. He recounted seeing firefighters escape through the front window of their damaged vehicle and assist injured colleagues. Amaral noted that one of the firefighters’ helmets landed a considerable distance from the crash site.
“The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts from the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Amaral described the scene.
A safety officer from Brightline emphasized the importance of community involvement in maintaining railroad safety, advising drivers against disregarding closed gates.
An investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration is set to take place, while a spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board relayed that they were still in the information-gathering phase and had not yet determined whether they would conduct an investigation.
The NTSB is already looking into two earlier crashes involving Brightline trains that tragically resulted in three fatalities early this year at a crossing in Melbourne, located along the railway line connecting Miami and Orlando. Since Brightline’s inception in July 2017, over 100 individuals have lost their lives after being struck by trains, marking the railroad with the highest death rate in the nation. However, most fatalities have stemmed from suicides, pedestrians rushing across tracks, or drivers who bypassed crossing gates in an attempt to avoid waiting for trains. Brightline has not been found culpable in any of these previous incidents.
Concerns over railroad safety intensified following a Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, which released hazardous chemicals and ignited fires. While regulators have urged improvements in safety standards and members of Congress have proposed reforms, significant changes in railroad operations have yet to materialize, leaving the proposed bill in limbo.
Earlier this month, two operators of a Union Pacific train lost their lives due to a collision with a semitrailer truck obstructing a crossing in Pecos, Texas. The incident also resulted in injuries to three individuals and damage to the local Chamber of Commerce building.
