HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A white Jeep Wrangler was involved in a crash with a Brightline train Tuesday afternoon at a railroad crossing in Hollywood.
The incident occurred in the area of North Dixie Highway and Garfield Street.
Witnesses told Local 10 News that the driver of the Jeep was racing south and attempted to cut in front of the train as the crossing arms were in the downed position.
They said that’s when the train struck the vehicle, causing it to flip over and eject the driver.
Nearby drivers pulled over to flip the Jeep off of the driver before he was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
“They said he was chasing the train and he must have seen that the arms were down and he tried to zig zag around it,” said Yacoub Naber, who was one of the witnesses who rushed over to help the driver.
Tuesday’s incident comes a day after a man was killed in a crash involving a Brightline train in Pompano Beach.
In that case, a spokeswoman for Brightline said the driver drove around the gates that signaled a train was coming before their vehicle was struck.
The victim in that crash was identified as 27-year-old Jake Bresnehan.
A friend of the victim told Local 10 News that Bresnehan had two children, two step-children and another child on the way.
He was on his way to work when the crash occurred, according to the friend.
Brightline officials told Local 10 News Monday that at least 64 people have died in collisions with their trains since 2018.
In light of the alarming figure, a Brightline spokesperson told Local 10 News the company is requesting a federal grant to pay for roughly half of a $45 million project to increase safety measures they believe will help prevent accidents and deaths.
The company also issued a statement which read:
“All of us recognize that intercity passenger rail will move millions of people each year and be a vital part of Florida’s transportation network. FDOT, Brightline and our partner communities are committed to enhancing safety along the rail corridor and we will continue to identify funding opportunities like the RAISE grant.”
Brightline also warns drivers to follow these simple rules to prevent accidents involving trains:
· Never drive around the gates
· Never try and beat a train
· Be aware that these are active railroad tracks with trains approaching in both directions.
4 p.m. report
3 p.m. report