POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Officials said a woman was proclaimed deceased on scene after a collision between a Brightline train and a white Lexus prompted a quick response from Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue on Tuesday.
Just before 9:30 p.m., units were dispatched near Atlantic Boulevard and Dixie Highway where they immediately worked the situation. Deputies reportedly located the female driver who was found dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported, authorities said.
7News cameras captured the aftermath, revealing significant damage to the white Lexus involved in the collision with the Brightline train. Police blocked off the railroad tracks for several hours before opening the area to traffic once again.
“The patient is pinned between the car and the actual train,” said a dispatcher over Broadcastify police scanner. “She has agonal breathing right now.”
Ryan, a witness to the incident, was at the bus terminal across the street.
“It was very very very very loud,” he recalled. “She was in between the track. Like, I don’t know if she stopped and panicked but she had no way to back up.”
This recent incident adds to the growing concern of cars attempting to beat trains at crossings.
Brightline, along with local governments, has invested millions in safety campaigns to prevent such incidents. However, according to the Associated Press, Brightline holds the distinction of having the highest number of fatalities per mile among all rail companies in America.
Tuesday night’s incident is part of a series of incidents that have drawn attention to the safety of Brightline services. A federal investigation is underway following three deaths that occurred on Jan. 10 in Melbourne involving trains that travel between Orlando and South Florida.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said a woman who was asked about the incidents in Melbourne.
“I can’t wrap my head around it,” said another woman. “It’s just sad.”
The Associated Press said that since Brightline commenced services back in 2017, more than 100 deaths have been reported. All of the incidents have been a result of drivers attempting to beat the train or passerby’s trespassing onto the train tracks.
“They think they can beat the train and they cannot beat the train,” said one man.
7News cameras captured two vehicles in Pompano Beach getting stuck under the train crossing barriers as nearby workers helped those drivers by lifting the barriers so they can reverse away from the train tracks. This only hours after, and a few hundred feet away, from Tuesday’s deadly incident.
As deputies investigate this Brightline collision, Ryan wanted to give the community some advice after what he saw.
“You don’t have to be so close. You know, a few seconds until the train is over to get wherever it is you need to go,” he said. “It’s not worth your life.”
Deputies have yet to identify the driver of the white Lexus.
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