A Brightline train
kills a bicyclist in South Florida — the high-speed rail line’s second fatality in five days and the fourth since summer.
A Brightline train killed a bicyclist Wednesday in Boynton Beach — the higher-speed line’s second fatality in five days.
The man became the fourth person killed by a Brightline train since this summer.
In the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s fatality, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wrote a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, asking whether enough has been done to increase safety.
He called the crossing deaths a “critical safety issue.”
“I urge you to examine these incidents and to review the safety of rail crossings, particularly for higher speed trains,” the senator wrote. “Also, please provide additional information on what actions the Department has taken to address highway-rail grade crossing safety.”
On Wednesday, the cyclist was struck at 4:26 p.m. in the 100 block of the Florida East Coast Railway tracks on Ocean Avenue, said Stephanie Slater, a spokeswoman for the Boynton Beach Police Department. The man’s name and other details haven’t been released.
“Local authorities are on the scene, and we are engaged with them as they begin their investigation,” a Brightline spokesperson said.
Cindy Sumlin, who owns a business about 50 yards from Wednesday’s crash site, said the new express train flies through the area and pedestrians and bicyclists need to wise up before they try to hustle across the tracks.
“People feel that they can beat the train and apparently they can’t,” she told Sun Sentinel news partner WPEC-CBS12. “I really think people should be a little more aware that this train is going extremely fast and they can die.
“If you want to be stupid enough to try to go through there, you’re going to get hit, because the train is going too fast.”
Wednesday’s fatality came five days after the higher-speed train hit and killed a pedestrian as she crossed the tracks last Friday during a VIP ride for business leaders from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach.
Brightline was testing its trains before it began running introductory service Saturday.
Melissa Lavell, 32, was on the tracks in the 600 block of the FEC tracks on Friday evening after the gates were in the down position as she tried to make it across before the train approached, witnesses said.
“It’s always unfortunate when there's an accident like that,” Brightline president and COO Patrick Goddard said the next day. “Certainly, safety is our top priority and when these [incidents] occur, as they do, we’re prepared.”
Another woman died in July after she was hit in Boca Raton. Her death was investigated as a suicide.
In November, a second woman was on the tracks in Deerfield Beach when she was struck.
“It’s very important that the community understands how to behave and act around railroads,” Goddard said. “There are laws against [trespassing] and that’s critical.”
Brightline’s introductory service runs between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Service to Miami is expected in coming months, and service to Orlando is planned by late 2020.