The Palm Beach Post reported that a man entered the train while he was being transported by it. They thought it was suicide.
Saturday’s death was the tenth in Florida’s privately-owned passenger railroad. It occurred after operations were reopened in November following an 18-month interruption due to the pandemic. Brightline’s 58th death since Brightline started testing in 2017. This makes it the country’s worst per-mile fatality rate, according to an ongoing Associated Press analysis. It was the tenth such incident since Brightline resumed test runs in 2017.
Brightline trains caused serious injuries to another person last week and one person was killed by them.
Hallandale Beach police report that a pedestrian was struck while trying to cross the tracks on Tuesday evening. A driver was seen appearing to go around the gate and into the path of the train on Wednesday morning. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, it is possible that the driver didn’t see the Brightline train approaching as another train was crossing the tracks in the opposite direction. According to the sheriff’s office, the collision caused the car to be split in half and left the driver with serious injuries.
Another driver was killed last Sunday after he went around a crossing gate.
Investigators have determined that most deaths on trains were caused by suicides, drivers, or pedestrians trying beat the trains. Trains travel at speeds of up to 79 mph (127 km/h) through densely populated areas and along approximately 70 miles (112 km) of track that runs between Miami and West Palm Beach. This track is shared with the Florida East Coast freight train.
The company is nearing completion of an extension that will link West Palm Beach with Orlando and plans to eventually connect Orlando and Tampa.
