DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) – The City of Delray Beach will fire a firefighter who drove a rescue truck across railroad tracks before it was struck by a Brightline train last December, injuring more than a dozen people, officials said.
City officials on Thursday confirmed thay Driver-Engineer David Wyatt will be terminated, effective April 28, following an in-depth administrative investigation into the Dec. 28 crash that left 15 people hospitalized, including three firefighters.
The fire truck, which was responding to a call at the time, was split in two after crossing Southeast First Street while the crossing arms were down and a high-speed Brightline train was approaching.
City Manager Terrence R. Moore said Wyatt’s actions showed “a pattern of carelessness and poor judgment” that placed lives at risk and violated the standards expected of public safety personnel.
“This incident revealed a pattern of carelessness and poor judgment that went beyond an isolated error,” Moore said in a statement. “These actions … placed lives at risk, compromised our operational readiness, and violated the principles of professionalism.”
Wyatt was previously given a traffic citation for his role in the crash.
The collision sparked multiple investigations and raised questions about emergency vehicle protocols at rail crossings.
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