DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - It was a close call on the tracks in Deerfield Beach for the driver of a truck caught on dashcam video managing to cross seconds before a high-speed Brightline train came barreling through.
Jeri and Geoff West said they were running errands and going grocery shopping on Monday when they saw the white pickup.
“I said, ‘Look at this guy, look at this guy, unbelievable,'” said Jeri.
Dashcam video from the Wests’ car captured the vehicle as it snaked around the car in front and approached the train tracks on Northeast Second Street.
The footage then shows the truck going around the crossing gate, barely missing the oncoming Brightline train.
“Unbelievable,” Jeri is heard yelling in the video.
Geoff told 7News the driver’s actions were irresponsible and not very bright.
“I just thought, ‘What an idiot. People have been killed, and here comes another one,”‘ he said.
“I thought about beeping the horn, but I don’t think it would’ve mattered,” said Jeri. “I think he was set on going around and getting through the gate.”
Days later, the couple, still shocked from what they witnessed, shared the video online. It has since gone viral.
“When I bought him the dashcam for Christmas, I didn’t think we were going to almost see someone get hit by a train,” said Jeri.
Because of incidents like the one on Monday, signs are in place near the tracks to help prevent any deadly or serious accidents.
Clearly the truck driver didn’t heed the warning, adding to the list of dangerous situations involving the new higher-speed train.
On Jan. 19, police said, a pedestrian was trying to cross the tracks near Northeast Third Avenue and North Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale when he was struck by the Brightline train. His injuries were not life-threatening.
Two days earlier, a bicyclist was hit and killed in Boynton Beach trying to go around the gates as the train was coming.
A week prior to that, a woman was killed, also in Boynton Beach when, police said she was also trying to cross the tracks.
During a news conference, Brightline president and CEO Patrick Goddard said, “Rail safety for passengers and pedestrians is a topic that should be important to us all. At Brightline, it’s our number one priority.”
As for the Wests, they cautioned that, even though the driver barely made it through, others may not be so lucky.
“My feeling is, you can’t fix stupid,” said Geoff.
“I just think people need to obey the rules and the traffic lights and the gates and stuff,” said Jeri. “They don’t need to be going around. If they’re in that big of a hurry, then they need to plan their time better.”
The truck driver’s identity is unknown.
Brightline spokesperson Ali Soule released a statement late Saturday night that reads, “Driving or walking around or under lowered railroad gates is dangerous and illegal. When the gates are down, stop!!”
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