A tragic crash occurred on Friday, November 15^th, when a woman in a Mercedes SUV was struck by a Brightline train and killed. The accident occurred in northeast Miami-Dade County at the intersection of Ives Dairy Road and West Dixie Highway, across from the Aventura Mall and near 200^th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. According to multiple witnesses, the white Mercedes was sitting on the tracks when it was struck by a passenger train on its way to Miami. Horrifically, the Mercedes was pushed several hundred feet and crushed by the train. The SUV’s female driver and lone occupant was declared dead at the scene.

Train crossings near busy Miami intersections are a recipe for disaster

A view of the train tracks where the fatal crash occurred shows the crossing to be about two car lengths before a busy Aventura intersection. In stop-and-go traffic, it seems all too easy for a driver to get caught on the tracks thinking there will be time to move forward before the train arrives, but that time never comes.

A similar incident in North Miami occurred less than six months ago. On June 5^th, 2019, a Nissan Pathfinder SUV was partially caught on the tracks when it was struck by a Virgins Trains USA train, formerly operating as Brightline. The accident occurred near Northeast 141^st and Biscayne Boulevard. The train struck the rear of the vehicle, and the driver was rushed to the hospital.

More Brightline crashes points north

Last year a car stopped on the tracks in Hallandale Beach was crushed and mangled, although thankfully, there weren't any injuries. Apparently, the driver was lost and got stuck on the tracks when her car stalled. She called 9-1-1 and was able to exit the vehicle before it was struck with force the “equivalent of a semi-truck running over a can.” Hallandale Beach Fire Department Chief Mark Ellis noted that these Brightline trains are quiet and coming much faster than they used to, factors which catch drivers off guard regarding an approaching train.

On September 12^th, the driver of a Maserati was killed in a crash with a Brightline train in Oakland Park. The driver there may have been trying to beat the train, as authorities say he bypassed the crossing gates and ignored the bells warning of the train's approach. It's not just vehicles that are getting hit but pedestrians too. A pedestrian was struck and killed by a Brightline train in Deerfield Beach on November 13^th, and another pedestrian was struck and killed by a Brightline train in Hollywood on September 24^th.

Who is to blame for these tragedies?

Car-train collisions are controversial and lead to emotional arguments on all sides. Are these incidents the fault of the driver for stopping on the tracks, or is the city to blame for its placement and timing of intersection traffic signals? Does the state of Florida bear responsibility for inadequate laws on grade separation, barriers, and other safety measures? Should the train company be faulted for flying through dense urban areas at extremely high speeds? Until questions like these are answered by new safety laws or regulations, they may be answered in the courts through civil litigation brought by train victims and their families.