DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Fifteen people were injured when a Brightline train hit a fire truck in downtown Delray Beach today (Dec. 28, 2024), splitting the ladder truck into two parts.
The collision occurred about 10:45 a.m. While initial reports placed it near East Atlantic Avenue — the main thoroughfare through downtown — and Railroad Avenue, it was actually a block away at Southeast First Street. That grade crossing does not have quad gates, unlike Atlantic Avenue.
Three firefighters from the Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck have been hospitalized and are in stable condition, the City of Delray Beach said in a press release. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue assisted in the incident and transported 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, in a paywalled article, reports that Delray Beach Fire Rescue Chief Ronald Martin said two of the firefighters were transported as trauma alerts in serious condition. They are now stable but will “likely have prolonged admission at the hospital,” Martin said.
Passengers on the train were evacuated onto a new train shortly after 12:30 p.m., the newspaper reports.
Delray Beach police, the National Transportation Safety Board, and Brightline officials are investigating, the city said.
As of 4:30 p.m. CT, Brightline’s website indicates at least two trains have been cancelled this afternoon, with others showing delays of up to four hours. As of 7:45 p.m. CT, the company shows delays on upcoming southbound departures from Orlando and West Palm Beach. The company has posted video on X.com from the train’s forward-facing camera showing the moments before the collision with a message urging drivers to “never drive around crossing gates when they are down.”
— Updated at 8 p.m. CT with new information, including Brightline posting of on-train video; updated Dec. 29 at 9:45 p.m. to correct grade crossing where collision occurred.
Tragic collision between a fire truck and the brightline in Delray Beach. Apparently the firemen were responding to a car collision. Always sad how car culture and vehicular violence can cause compounding tragedy. pic.twitter.com/k4WKiImVZR
— Ethan Kent (@ebkent) December 28, 2024
NO EXCUSES. FIRETRUCK IN THE WRONG. DUMB DUMB DUMB.
You would think they would know better… but stupid is rampant in South Florida, even among so-called first responders, it seems. Tragic.
We hit a lot of automobiles during my tenure there. Then there was the auto carrier (featuring “flying Land Rovers” on impact). The one incident we were all dreading was hitting a loaded dump truck. This is so far the closest thing to that.
Does anyone know if this grade crossing is a “quiet zone?”
The local news mentioned something that the town made sure it was a quiet zone yet they were checking on that, have not heard more.
Strangely the local news keeps mentioning that it’s unsure of whether the gates were working properly, the picture says it all.
News reports said that the firetruck drove around the gates… If so, and I hope it is not, then these guys were definitely in the WRONG and should have known better as first responders. And by putting themselves in harms way, and the people on the train, they made it impossible to fulfill their mission of responding to the other incident they were called on in the first place. Sounds like this spot need “quad gates” to protect people from their own stupidity…
Several newspaper reports sourced to national wire services have also noted that the fire engine waited for a passing freight train then moved after the freight cleared, if true this sounds like a classic ‘Second Train Coming’ scenario. A news report today said FRA will investigate and NTSB apparently will not be leading the review as originally reported, perhaps because of the above.
Not a classic 2nd train situation. That would classically be another freight moving at 25mph – 45mph classically.
In this situation you have a passenger train likely moving 60 -79mph. Much faster and the firetruck as a result misjudges + goes around the gate, not realizing another train coming.