A collision between a firetruck and a Brightline passenger train in Delray Beach, Florida, on Saturday morning left three firefighters and a dozen passengers injured. The crash occurred at around 10:45 AM in the busy downtown area, after the firetruck drove around lowered rail crossing arms and into the path of the oncoming high-speed train.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the firetruck had initially stopped at the crossing and waited for a freight train to pass. However, after the freight train cleared, the firetruck maneuvered around the lowered crossing arms, placing it directly in the path of the Brightline train. The crash caused extensive damage, with the firetruck’s ladder being ripped off and thrown several yards away.
The Brightline train, which was carrying passengers, came to a halt a block away from the collision site, with its front severely damaged. Fortunately, the train’s passengers suffered only minor injuries, with 12 people transported to the hospital by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. The three firefighters from the Delray Beach Fire Rescue were also taken to the hospital but were reported to be in stable condition.
Emmanuel Amaral, who was nearby at the time of the crash, rushed to the scene and witnessed the aftermath. He described the devastation, noting that the firetruck was split in half, with debris scattered across the area. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts of the firetruck stuck in the front of the train,” Amaral said.
Brightline, the high-speed rail company, has yet to release an official statement about the crash, but the Federal Railroad Administration is expected to investigate the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also monitoring the situation, though it has not yet decided whether to launch a full investigation.
This crash marks the latest in a series of safety concerns surrounding Brightline trains. Since its operations began in 2017, more than 100 fatalities have occurred, with most deaths involving pedestrians, suicides, or drivers bypassing crossing gates. Brightline has not been found at fault in any of these incidents.
The incident also raises broader concerns about rail safety, following other major accidents such as the Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio last year, which spurred calls for regulatory reform. However, despite some efforts, significant changes in the railroad industry’s safety protocols have yet to be implemented.
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