WASHINGTON — Drivers in two fatal January collisions at the same grade crossing in Melbourne, Fla., drove around lowered crossing gates before being struck by Brightline trains, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report issued Thursday, Feb. 8, confirming earlier news reports.
Officially, the NTSB is investigating a Jan. 12 collision at the grade crossing on W.H. Jackson Street in Melbourne that killed the driver and passenger in a pickup truck, but the agency has also collected information from another incident two days earlier. The grade crossing involved is a two-lane undivided roadway with a 30-mph speed limit which meets a two-track main line; the crossing has flashing lights, bells, crossbucks, and gates for vehicles and pedestrians.
The Jan. 12 incident occurred about 12:51 p.m. and involved a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck traveling west on W.H. Jackson Street. When it reached the railroad crossing near the intersection with South Harbor City Boulevard, the truck drove around the lowered gate and was struck by southbound Brightline train No. 102, which was traveling about 78 mph on the east track of the two-track main line. The driver and passenger in the truck both died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The Jan. 10 incident occurred about 2 p.m., and involved a westbound 2008 Honda Element SUV with a driver and three passengers. The vehicle stopped behind and then drove around a fully lowered gate, striking the lead car of a northbound Brightline train traveling about 68 mph on the west track. The SUV’s driver died and the passengers were seriously injured.
The NTSB announced it was investigating following the second accident “in coordination with the Melbourne Police Department” [see “NTSB to investigate two Brightline collisions …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 15, 2024]. The ongoing investigation will focus on factors addressing grade crossing safety.
As a Veteran I still remember my first deadly incident on an airfield. The First Sargent said “Stupidity has an inherent self correcting factor so don’t be near people that do stupid things.”
Faulty nuts holding the steering wheel.
you can’t fix stupid
Au contraire. It was fixed twice at the same crossing.
Think of it as chlorine for the gene pool…