Person killed by Brightline train in Florida; fourth incident in 6 days

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A person was fatally struck by a Brightline train in South Florida early Saturday, authorities said. It marked the fourth incident involving the high-speed rail service in six days.

>> Read more trending news

Police in Delray Beach confirmed the death, WPTV-TV reported. It is at least the 10th incident involving Brightline since the company resumed service in November.

The investigation remains active, the television station reported.

On Wednesday, Brightline released a video showing a car deliberately driving around railroad gates and onto the tracks before being hit by a train. In the video, the gates are down when the driver clearly goes around them, and the train splits the driver’s car in two.

Early Tuesday, a woman and baby were unharmed when their car drove through a dead-end in Delray Beach and onto the railroad tracks.

Another Brightline crash happened Sunday in Lake Worth Beach, killing one person, WPTV reported.

>> Video showing train crashing into car released as warning to drivers

“This behavior is incredibly dangerous, irresponsible and tragic for the surrounding community, Brightline teammates who are operating the train, the first responders who come to the scene and is devastating for the families of the trespassers,” Brightline said in a statement earlier this week to the Miami Herald.

Brightline trains travel up to 79 mph through 70 miles of densely populated areas between Miami and West Palm Beach, the Sun-Sentinel reported. At that speed, the trains need about one-quarter of a mile to stop, the newspaper reported.

“What makes these events so tragic is that they’re preventable,” Ben Porritt, the senior vice president for Brightline corporate affairs, said at a news conference Wednesday.

©2022 Cox Media Group