Since the railway line opened in 2018, there have been more than 30 accidents at level crossings involving Brightline trains carrying pedestrians or vehicles.
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LAKE PARK – One person was killed Thursday afternoon, Aug. 8, when a Brightline train collided with a vehicle in Lake Park, authorities said.
The person killed in the crash in the 1200 block of Northlake Boulevard, near Old Dixie Highway, was not immediately identified.
According to the Palm Beach County Fire Department, emergency crews arrived at the scene shortly after 3 p.m. A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokesman confirmed that a Brightline train was involved.
Further details were not immediately available.
Since the Brightline rail line between Miami and West Palm Beach began operating in 2018, accidents involving pedestrians or vehicles at railroad crossings have been a regular occurrence. In Palm Beach County alone, more than 30 accidents have occurred, with at least four of the fatalities occurring this year.
Brightline uses the Florida East Coast Railway tracks near the Intracoastal Waterway, where there are few natural barriers to prevent people from using it.
The railroad and local authorities have spent millions of dollars on programs to warn people to get off the tracks and watch for oncoming trains, including signs and electric signals at railroad crossings.
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Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for the Palm Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Support our work: Subscribe today.
