Days after a Brightline train smashed into a Delray Beach Fire Rescue engine on the tracks in downtown Delray Beach, several questions remain unanswered about the circumstances of the crash.
“What happened will be 'a turning point' — a moment from which we will learn and grow,“ Delray Beach Fire Chief Ronald Martin said in a statement shared on social media Tuesday afternoon.
He said the department is “committed to working diligently to implement improvements to prevent future incidents.”
Three firefighters and 12 Brightline passengers were hospitalized after the crash, which happened near the intersection of the intersection of East Atlantic Avenue and Railroad Avenue about 10:45 a.m. Saturday. The high-speed train’s passengers had minor injuries while two of the firefighters were taken to a hospital as trauma alerts in serious condition, the Sun Sentinel previously reported. Martin said in his statement the department is “thankful there were no fatalities.”
Martin did not address why the engine was on the tracks as the Brightline train barreled toward it or say whether the firefighters were responding to an emergency call at the time. He did not provide an update on the conditions of the three firefighters.
“This crash is a sobering reminder that emergency responders must always balance the urgency inherent in their work with caution, ensuring that the safety of our community remains our guiding principle,” Martin’s statement said.
Ted White, a spokesperson for the police and fire rescue departments, did not respond to an email Tuesday seeking information about whether the crew was responding to a call at the time. White told the Sun Sentinel on Monday afternoon he did not have an update on the conditions of the firefighters who were hospitalized.
Hours after the crash, Brightline quickly released video that showed the moment of impact as the truck was on the tracks.
“Video shows gates down and truck traveling west to east. The truck is in the wrong lane, driving around cars that are stopped at the lowered gate,” Brightline said in a statement to the Sun Sentinel.
Brightline has not released any additional information since sharing the video online on Saturday evening.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating, along with Delray Beach Police. The NTSB in an email this week to the Sun Sentinel said only that the agency has “opened an investigation into this crash to support our interest in railroad grade crossing safety.”
Warren Flatau, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the FRA, said in an email to the Sun Sentinel Monday that the agency does not provide “preliminary findings or make initial determinations of cause.”
The FRA’s investigation could likely take six months or longer, he said.
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