Man struck by Amtrak train

A man using a walker at a railroad crossing in Dania Beach on Friday died after being struck by a train, said Amtrak and Broward Sheriff's Office.

Witnesses told investigators that the man, identified as Estafaite Elysee, 74, walked around a lowered gate with bells, lights and gates activated as the train neared the crossing, Broward Sheriff’s spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said.

As the Elysee crossed the tracks, he was fatally struck by the Amtrak Silver Star, which travels between Miami and New York City, Concepcion said. His address was unknown, she said.

Deputies were called to the scene near the 1900 block of Griffin Road, west of Interstate 95, at about 12:24 p.m.

The Silver Star had 97 passengers aboard and resumed its trip at 3:19 p.m., said Kimberly Woods, of Amtrak media relations.

Tri-Rail riders were also affected. It used eight buses to take riders between the station stops at Sheridan Street, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Fort Lauderdale, Tri-Rail spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold said.

After one set of tracks reopened at 2:56 p.m., TriRail was able to resume service through the crossing. Some Tri-Rail passengers experienced delays of up to 30 minutes waiting for buses to arrive and travel between stations, Arnold said.

BSO’s traffic homicide investigators were at the scene. The crossing was blocked by the last car in the Amtrak train for about 2 hours; Griffin Road reopened to traffic at about 3 p.m., Concepcion said.