Delray Beach faces "turning point" after fire truck on tracks hit by Brightline train

[@user-dz9jj8et8m]

turning point? Don't stop on the tracks and stop behind a closed barrier and you will be fine.

[@xlandros]

Also, be aware of what the traffic in front of you is doing, so you don’t get stuck on the tracks either.

[@pulaski1]

​@xlandros Never drive onto the tracks until there is room _beyond_ the tracks for your vehicle; if in doubt, wait for traffic to move further. This simple approach has served me well, and I keep impressing it upon my daughter who is learning to drive. And if the vehicle in front of me is stopped on the tracks I leave enough room for it to _back off_ the crossing if the lights start to flash and the bell sounds.

[@jameylane1591]

Stop supporting your death train shill.

[@juanalmos1959]

Same ones to critique others for doing the same as these idiot firefighters

[@dubsounds]

Otherwise, you will be fined. LOL!. Saw what I did there???

[@mmcgahn5948]

100% behind our firefighters, but in this incident they, not the train, are at fault. NEVER go around the crossing, plain and simple.

[@bobd9506]

You can't eliminate stupidity with more signs. Common sense would tell not to stop on the tracks.

[@croiners4166]

More rules, memos, etc won’t make people smarter!

[@donknupp8864]

@bobd9506 Common Sense is all but dead in today's world.

[@MegaGeorge1948]

@@croiners4166 Yup. Stopping on the tracks does get you a Charles Darwin award.

[@Keaton0801]

You can't possibly eliminate stupidity. You can't fix stupid. Whenever you try to stupid proof something, someone even stupid comes along and becomes another statistic. Humans as a species learn not to do things that may harm us by people doing those exact things. That's why we have the doomsday clock, because there may come a time where someone does someone makes the worst mistake in human history, like starting a thermonuclear war for example, that there won't be anyone around to learn from that mistake. Right now that clock as of December 31st, 2024 sits at 90 seconds to midnight. When that clock strikes midnight, humanity makes the biggest mistake that causes the extinction of the human species.

[@MrNorth69]

You can't idiot proof idiots.. that simple.. I've came pretty close to nailing a police car in New Mexico.. went around the gates.. scared the sh%t out of us

[@BWCSoFlo]

Its not Brightline or Tri-Rail fault. People are stupid and uneducated about the grade crossing. People will follow direction once police start enforcing the law by issuing tickets/fines to people stoping on the tracks. Not only the vehicles, pedestrians are crossing the gate arms while its down, this leads to many people dying as well.

[@isiseshisewebhu]

They're arrogant and obstinate. People, that is.

[@mikelowery5741]

You forgot entitled

[@neilray9357]

@@BWCSoFlo Exactly! 💯Facts

[@pulaski1]

@@BWCSoFlo If the penalty for ignoring the lights, stopping on the tracks, or dodging around the barrier, was a week in the jail that might actually get people's attention. 🙄

[@alikaalex]

Agreed. Also, some photo enforcement would help in holding drivers responsible when cops can’t be present.

[@williamthawley9251]

stupidity seems to be rampant.

[@deet4895]

We're talking about Floridians here, remember that.

[@dave8218]

​@deet4895 a good majority of those "Floridians" are from New York or New Jersey over on the east coast.

[@deet4895]

@@dave8218 The majority of Floridians living in Florida are from New York and New Jersey? The Majority!!? That's BS and you know it.

[@ShawnCalay]

​@@deet4895 I live in Florida and from Illinois, both neighbors are from New York as well as the person across the street .....

[@dave8218]

@deet4895 calm down , I have lived here for over 25 years in our neighborhood the majority are from the north east.

[@stefansnider6062]

So if I’m understanding right, the local residents are blaming the train? Really? You can’t have anymore warning then their are already, signs, lights, gates, sirens what more do want?

[@tettazwo9865]

Don't forget that this is FL!

[@themartdog]

I think it's a mix. That particular crossing they were interviewing at is kinda crazy. There can be dozens of people and heavy traffic and a brightline flies through at 80+ mph. Sometimes you can be crossing the tracks and an idiot pops out of a side street *right next to the tracks* bc of impatience and get you stuck on the tracks with no way to back up or get off the tracks. It is an accident waiting to happen. A car hit there could also throw a car right into people eating at restaurants right next to the tracks. Could be multiple fatalities of uninvolved people due to one person's bad decision

[@nomenclature9373]

Most places have one arm to hold back traffic in the direction of travel. That area has arms on both sides of the road to prevent this situation. Possible one arm was not functioning. If so, still no excuse for the fire truck to cross with the other arms down. Flori-duh.

[@MartintheTinman]

It's hard to think

[@bobh6728]

@@nomenclature9373It only has arms on one side. That is how the fire truck was able to go in the wrong lane around the arms. If there were arms on both sides, then it would block a vehicle from getting off the tracks. There is no need for arms to stop vehicles that are driving in the wrong lane. (There are short arms that block the sidewalk in all directions, since there is no wrong side of a sidewalk.)

[@coldstreams]

21 years ago I was a volunteer firefighter. We were a very small fire district with a busy railroad running through the middle of the small town. This exact scenario of (stupidly) going around railroad crossing signs was covered in depth in our Emergency Vehicle Accident Prevention training. I cannot imagine how the fire truck driver missed this.

[@mysticaleagle1625]

I’m wondering how many times has that fire company been called out to accidents where a car was on the tracks when a train was coming. You’d think they would learn from seeing it first hand.

[@tvideo1189]

He didn't "miss it", he "ignored it". 100% the firetruck drives fault.

[@beebeescreebee]

IMHO, the FD truck driver thought the gates were still lowered from the freight train crossing, and not the oncoming passenger train. All the blame is on the FD personnel.

[@irmafoster3933]

Sorry, you have no knowledge or training about the operation of crossing protection signals or how they work. Please watch from a distance and refrain from commenting.

[@notinterested8397]

😂​@@irmafoster3933 Why? He's right.

[@gregfaris6959]

Your analysis shows the beginning of a real consideration of possible factors. You then nipped that in the bud by "resolving" the issue by summarily assigning blame, which is not the goal in understanding accident processes. But you were on the right track. I will accord @irmafoster3933 the grace of pretending his comment never existed.

[@goBadgers1995right]

Exactly. FD probably did it to force the county to buy a new truck.

[@billrahn8723]

@@irmafoster3933please share your knowledge.

[@rpm2night]

The suggestion about having the gates come down sooner: that won’t work. The longer wait times will make people more impatient and increase likelihood of running around the gates.

[@gregfaris6959]

Good to see at least one comment in this thread thad shows a grain of reflection and analysis.

[@rjb5847]

That is 100% correct. I worked for years in railroad safety as well as operating trains. There is a factor called "nuisance operation of crossing protection". The theory is that the more delay involved before the train arrives, the more the likelihood people will ignore the protection. This observation came about years ago when older style crossing warning systems were activated at a specific location on the track ahead of aa crossing. Those circuits were typically set up to offer 20 seconds from crossing lights activating to the arrival of the engine on the crossing based on the maximum permitted speed for that track. If a train was moving more slowly or stopped, belles light & gates stayed on for what seemed forever. Timing circuits came into use to offer protection based on the train's speed. Many also time out if the train stops. This means drivers cannot disobey signals with any expectation of a long wait until the train actually gets there. Brightline has the most modern signaling systems along its routes.

[@gregfaris6959]

@@rjb5847 I'm glad to read this sensible interpretation, yet it does not square with what I see in several locations in Orlando - all day every day many times a day; trains approch a crossing at earthworm speed, because they are at their terminus, but the lights and gates at the grade crosssing 1/2 mile later activate and stay activated for many minutes. stoping rush-hour traffic, all for a train that is never going to come, because it is reversing direction and going back the other way. I know of several locations where this happens all day every day, but on tracks shared with Amtrack who may be coming through at high speed. I see this as a "Boy who cried wolf" case absolutely inviting disaster.

[@graememckay9972]

I'm in the UK and find Americas difficulties with RailRoad crossing rather strange. Doesn't matter what you drive or for what reason, if the barrier is down you don't cross, you certainly don't go around. Even if the barrier fails in the down position you find another route. I live close to our main line and the crossing can be closed for 4 or 5 trains. All the emergency services avoid the crossing. We even have half barrier, user worked and open crossings and we all know not to ignore barriers and if it's open you check there is no trains AND YOUR EXIT IS CLEAR OF THE RAIL before proceeding.

[@richardbause2453]

20 seconds to decide if you want 🤔 😏 to live or die... Let's see 👀 😏🤔 tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, WAIT ✋, TICK 😮 YOUR DEAD, YOUR DECISION HAS BEEN MADE DARWIN!!!

[@BigCountry-h6i]

The train is never at fault.

[@youraveragejoe2]

Unless the equipment malfunctions

[@wesinbama]

The train has the right of way. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

[@rupe53]

@@wesinbama ... and in case of a tie the train always wins!

[@gregfaris6959]

@@wesinbama Scratch a "no ifs, ands or buts" statement, and you will find a plethora of ifs, ands and buts....

[@rjb5847]

@@gregfaris6959 any suggested specifics in this case?

[@chrisalley6282]

Look on the bright side. At least it wasn't a cop that arrested a woman and put her, handcuffed, in the back of a patrol car that was parked on the tracks. That actually happened too, BTW

[@AdventureswAdam]

Yea. Then wasn’t smart enough to move the damn car and still treated her like a criminal after he almost got her killed

[@nomenclature9373]

The woman was awarded $8 million. The officer (er former) was sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation and 100 hours of public service for reckless endangerment and third-degree assault. Should have received jail time.

[@dsloop969]

The cops did not even try to help that woman after the train hit the police car. They were to busy trying to incriminate her.

[@donpierson]

"Days after a Brightline train collided with a Del Ray Beach fire truck" Should be ""Days after a Del Ray Beach fire truck bypassed railroad gates that were down" The trains always have the right of way on the tracks as we are crossing their property.

[@californigirl]

ALWAYS!

[@raincoast9010]

It's all in how you spin it...

[@TheMW2informer]

Foamer spotted

[@neilray9357]

I'm sorry, but you can't put up enough signs for people that are not paying attention to their surroundings! A large percentage of driver's are on their phone before their vehicle gets stopped good anywhere! Everyone acts like every accident is the train's fault. 🤦‍♂️ When the red lights are flashing and the gates are down, YOU STOP until the gates go up and the lights stop flashing! That's the law and It's that simple!!!

[@nomenclature9373]

I remember RR x-ings from driving class 40+ years ago. Still part of the driver test today.

[@ReeseofEastAnglia]

CBS News it's spelt brightline, one word with one letter h. Brightline has consistently been shown not to be responsible for collisions and as such should not be punished for the poor driving of others.

[@boblynch2802]

not to mention the stupidity of others.

[@mikem3695]

Well, you butchered it, too. What the heck is "brighline"? I also didn't know "spelt" was past tense for "spell".

[@WhooHooooooo]

It’s spelled how? 😂😂😂

[@plisskenationbackfromthede3657]

If youre gonna call out misspelling, at least make sure that you spell it correctly lol

[@themartdog]

I agree trains aren't technically at fault, but some of these intersections are *crazy*, especially that one they were interviewing at in Delray. 80-100mph train going right past people sitting at restaurant tables 10 feet away. It's not safe and was not designed for high-speed rail, regardless of how you look at it.

[@keithalaird]

Don’t know about Florida traffic law, but in Pennsylvania, motor vehicles are not permitted to cross after a train passes until the gates are fully raised AND the lights stop flashing. And when there is more than one track, trains can run on either track in either direction at any time.

[@rc9272]

It's the tropics, a lot of Florida drivers don't even have car insurance let alone follow traffic laws and police are lazy and don't really enforce traffic laws, it's too hot to come out of their police cars and ticket bad drivers.

[@vanlepthien6768]

It isn't called Flo-duh for nothing.

[@flipper184]

How many movies have we all seen where that was how someone met their end.

[@SpartacusColo]

"Fire Chief Makes Vacuous Remark About Department Negligence" Fixed your title for you.

[@rjb5847]

You've nailed it. There's something to be said for brevity. Meanwhile, What I don't understand is why crappy mainstream media runs with such blathering.

[@paxundpeace9970]

Thats sober and well written the fire chief was very suttle about the wrong action of it's firefighters.

[@chesty1369]

Hand out tickets to people stopped on the tracks..Use funds to improve the crossings

[@neilray9357]

It's not so much the crossings needing improving as it is people need to not break the law and stop when the lights are flashing and the gates are down! How is it the railroads fault that people don't obey stop signals? 🤔🤔🤔

[@thisorthat7626]

The funds are going to be needed to pay Brightline for the accident the fire fighters caused. My bet is it will cost a few million.

[@neilray9357]

@thisorthat7626 People do need to hear the cost of this accident. It'll be 1 to 2 million bucks to replace the ladder truck alone. No counting the locomotive cost and hospital bills! 🤦‍♂️

[@ciello___8307]

@@neilray9357a seperated grade crossing would absolutely solve this problem

[@MrNorth69]

​@@neilray9357 He did some damage to that seimeins charger.. those are not cheap

[@nolangillentine773]

So... what? This report is supposed to make the fire heros look good and blame the railroad? 🙄 "How can I be completely stupid and then blame everyone else instead of taking responsibility for my own actions?"

[@joehinson9460]

How so exactly? The fire chef admitted his guy went through a gate.

[@nolangillentine773]

@joehinson9460 The entire report was focusing on what the railroad is going to have to change to fix the problem. Why is the railroad responsible for fixing it when they have already implemented several completely reasonable precautions that have all been ignored?

[@jamesyoung3341]

Better learn the basics because you can’t fight a railroad that’s been there over 100 years.

[@nolangillentine773]

@jamesyoung3341 i dunno, i just think it's strange logic not to hold the person accountable who could 100% avoid the entire situation (the driver who willfully bypassed multiple safety precautions) and instead blame the railroad who have already met their due diligence in trying to make the crossing as safe as possible.

[@themartdog]

​@@nolangillentine773 the problem is complicated. Brightline is a high speed rail which these tracks were not originally designed for. You have trains flying through intersections at 80-100 mph right next to restaurants and pedestrians. It is kinda crazy

[@boblynch2802]

Turning point? Kind of implies safety was not a primary concern. Leadership and accountability start at the top. If I was the Chief I would be nervous about my job.

[@themartdog]

Why do people always blame the chief? Like I get the leader is ultimately resonsible for his crew but come on. Do you really think the chief would have told his guy to drive past railroad barriers? This was a boneheaded move by one guy driving the fire truck

[@stephencushing8148]

⁠@@themartdogdriver AND company officer.

[@boblynch2802]

@@themartdog It goes with the job. There always be something else as a leader he cold have done. Basic tenant of leadership. The buck stops with you. You know this (or should know this) when you take the job.

[@themartdog]

​@@boblynch2802 unless you can articulate a policy the chief has that led to this incident, it is the fault of the individual who had no common sense, period

[@AbNomal621]

It should be a turning point. As in they fire the chiefs and turn toward a safety mindset. The two in the front of the truck should be sent to find another line of work.

[@RemboUSMC]

I see it dailly in Delray and Boynton. Just sheer stupidity. There is a complete lack of common sense when someone feels the need to stop on the tracks rather than wait.

[@raincoast9010]

a $400 fine for stopping on the tracks would make people pay attention.

[@mikehess8116]

The suicides shouldn't count against Brightline. Those are people who don't intend to NOT get hit. That is NOT on Brightline. It's my understanding that anytime an emergency vehicle is in an accident, that it is the fault of the operator of said emergency vehicle.

[@joehinson9460]

That final woman said they need more time. I think she means the gates need to be down longer. How would that stop people from going around them? It might more idiots take more chnces.

[@Amtrakker]

Exactly, people would eventually get used to the gates going down way early and take more chances.

[@nicholas_scott]

I thought she said "more..... gates". They both seem to stumble, and almost blamed the train. People need to follow existing rules

[@wayneanderson8034]

I work along Alt A1A & see lots of Brightline. The train often crosses immediately after the gates go down due to its speed. So the gate lowers, & 2 seconds later the Brightline passes doing 60-80 mph. Freight trains dont do that. People are not accustomed to how fast the train crosses. Thats not an excuse for bad driving, but possibly a reason. In the case of the fire truck, he had already been waiting a long time because a freight train passed. He wrongly assumed thats the only train.

[@Shock-xf7lu]

Do not expect a high speed train to stop!

[@abdullahakhtar9824]

I agree but bright line isn’t a high speed train

[@joeblow123]

@@abdullahakhtar9824 ok, don't expect a low speed train to stop !

[@Shock-xf7lu]

@ yes I agree but in USA a train going 90 miles an hour is high speed compared to freight trains that people are used too

[@forthefunofit3230]

just like idiots that always blame truckers....can't stop on a dime!!!

[@edwinsinclair9853]

If traffic will not let you go forward enough to clear the tracks, don't go forward. Weather the lights are flashing or not.

[@larryc8568]

"Whether" not "weather."

[@michaelkors6935]

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” - Albert Einstein

[@ronalddavis]

from a guy who couldnt tie his shoes

[@michaelkors6935]

because its a slip on, why tie it

[@BENCOINTERNATIONAL]

Red light cameras but for those stopped on the tracks

[@gregfaris6959]

Red light cameras for everyone EXCEPT those stopped on the tracks. Is that what you meant?

[@nomenclature9373]

Could work, but would need to be video with motion sensing like used at traffic intersections (aka smart intersections). System would detect vehicle, preserves say the last 30 seconds of video to show the Darwin nominee stopped on the tracks, read plate, issue a ticket in the mail.

[@Aimless6]

The only (somewhat valid) reason for stopping, would be congestion. In that case, wouldn't the license plate be blocked. @nomenclature

[@chrisconet]

big TV screen on both sides. With looping video of the train hitting cars and the words DO NOT STOP ON THE TRACKS.

[@thefaraz181-]

*drives past the tv screens onto an oncoming train anyway* But seriously, this is why all train lines in America (especially the notorious Brightline) needs grade separated rail crossing at all intersections. There's no such thing as a "safe" At-Grade crossings, no matter how many warning signs, lights, or tv screens you put at the intersection to warn drivers.

[@chrisconet]

@@thefaraz181- Unfortunately the cost of creating elevated tracks is too high for a line like this one

[@mrvwbug4423]

It's Florida, they're the most idiotic and entitled drivers in the industrialized world.

[@thefaraz181-]

@@chrisconet I'd argue that people losing their lives or getting severely hurt is expensive enough, and reason enough to support Grade Separated crossings. Otherwise you're going to keep seeing these incidents over and over again unfortunately. Hopefully you or someone you know will never have to know the feeling of being in a train accident (whether as a car driver or as a train passenger).

[@nomenclature9373]

Screens will get graffitied in the 1st month.

[@robertlane4720]

Many years ago, I was stopped at a railroad crossing where the tracks run parallel to a highway. There's about 40 feet from the tracks to the traffic light, the light was red and there were already two cars waiting for the light to change so I waited on the other side of the track so I didn't have to be on the tracks. I hear someone honking their horn, I look in my rear view mirror, and there's a guy in a pickup truck throwing his arms up in the air, wanting me to move forward. I don't move, so he puts his truck in reverse and goes around me, and now the backend of his truck is on the tracks, so I reverse a little bit just in case this idiot needs to get off the tracks. Some people are just too impatient.

[@notinterested8397]

Your last word should be "stupid", not impatient.

[@rKr0601]

I experience that here almost every day. They drive over and onto the tracks even though the traffic light in front of the track is already red. And honk at you if you don't cross the red light. Sometimes there happens to be a cop nearby who writes a few tickets for running the red light. But only at the end of the month.

[@TheEricZ]

The gates are working. People are the problem.

[@bradlevantis913]

Turning point. This is completely preventable. Pay attention when you drive and don’t stop on tracks. This is stupidity. And 0:58 not in general first responders must follow the rules. They must. What more is needed? Drivers need to pay attention.

[@PeterLGଈ]

Level crossings are dangerous, sure. BUT ... as a first responder, we are taught never to cross a rail track against the lights no matter what. Intersections? Go for it - safely - but 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 bet against a train. It was absolutely bloody stupid.

[@rickss69]

Mighty white of the Fire Chief to acknowledge the idiocy. There is no excuse and nothing needs changing about railroad crossings.

[@gregfaris6959]

It would be difficult to imagine a more factually incompetent assertion. EVERYTHING needs to be changed about railroad crossings, and most notably, where high-speed trains are concerned, thet ALL need to be ELIMINATED. That's the way it is done everywhere where high-speed rail works. Costly? Oh yeah!!

[@briankeeley6464]

There is something they could perhaps change... the cars get backed up onto the tracks because they are waiting on a nearby intersection to turn green. An awesome use of AI would be to task it with coordinating train movement with each nearby intersection's traffic signals. Example: As the train is actually nearing, have the nearby intersections setting green lights for cars to exit the crossing area. Admittedly, this will not fix the "stupid driver factor" but it would help prevent those that get trapped simply due to road traffic backups.

[@estebann.8700]

No no no. The TRUCK was at fault

[@LukeBarroso-y7g]

Funny in the north east they have high speed trains. its just point blank don't stop on track or don't cross down gates its there fault

[@mrvwbug4423]

The Northeast Corridor has 11 grade crossings over its entire 456mi length, all of them in eastern Connecticut and all in low traffic areas. The Brightline route just between West Palm and Miami has over 300 grade crossings in less than 100mi, in the highest traffic region of Florida.

[@jeffccan4464]

@@mrvwbug4423So you’re making an excuse for stupid people who don’t have the common sense to stop at a crossing when the red lights are flashing and the bar is across the road?

[@gregfaris6959]

@@mrvwbug4423 : Finally, a correct and pertinent observation! The case of Europe's high speed trains is similar, and aven better.

[@gregfaris6959]

@@jeffccan4464 Unsurprisingly, objections to the first and only pertinent, meaningful and intelligent contribution to this thread.

[@essentiallearning8458]

you could not pay me to ever stop my car on train tracks.

[@gregfaris6959]

You are the one who's going to have to pay - a lot - so others don't do it. That is, if you want high-speed rail. It's costly infrastructure - No it's not free.

[@neilray9357]

Another thing that needs to be addressed is: If your city is divided in half by a mainline railroad, that track should also be the dividing line for emergency response vehicles! You should have emergency resources on both sides of the tracks! Most times the railroad is there first and a city builds around it. So people need to stop acting like everything is the railroads fault.

[@norbertdx]

So, you'll need a carbon copy of everything on both sides. The UP had a town split, emergency couldn't get across and UP wouldn't cut one crossing. The patient passed (if I'm not mistaken) as the unit had to backtrack through another town to cross the tracks.

[@mrvwbug4423]

In those cases the crossings on the busiest streets need to be grade separated, IMHO.

[@neilray9357]

@@norbertdx Delray Beach population in 2023 was 67,563. The city I live in has 23,000 people and has 3) fire stations. So you think they can't afford to put a fire and EMS stations on both sides of the tracks? It'll cost 1 to 2 million to replace the ladder truck destroyed, not to mention the cost to repair the locomotive and all of the hospital bills! The SIMPLE solution is for people to obey the stop signals and gates at the RR crossings. But everyone wants to blame the railroads for the stupidity of driver's not obeying the law! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@nomenclature9373]

I read some time ago a recommendation from NTSB there should be at least one grade separated crossing in areas where trains tend to block vehicle traffic, blocking first responders.

[@neilray9357]

@@nomenclature9373 I get that, but you still need emergency resources on both sides of track. If there's one in a city ( grade separated crossing ), it'll be a traffic jam. But still, the number one thing is drivers illegally crossing the tracks or being dumb enough to stop on the tracks.

[@kc130flyer]

Fun fact, the roadway authority determines the type of crossing protection to be installed and pays for the majority of it. The railroad then pays for the maintenance and repair in perpetuity. People calling for quad gates or some other form of protection shouldn't blame the railroad, they need to speak to the governing body who is responsible for the equipment design/installation.

[@jessehughes8274]

The way they dance around saying "this should be grade separated so cars and trains and pedestrians don't ever hit each other here" boggles my mind.

[@mrvwbug4423]

grade separation costs money, America will always do infrastructure in the absolute cheapest way possible.

[@gregfaris6959]

It should! It's very costly!! If you want high-speed rail, this is the cost. That's the only way it has worked in Europe, Asia or the US Northeast.

[@rjb5847]

Grade separations are the most safe interface an intersection of rail & road can have. Unfortunately, there isn't enough money on earth to pay for total grade separations everywhere. So, until that time (which will never come), as you've implied, people are going have to act responsibly instead.

[@s0nnyburnett]

@@mrvwbug4423 wrong, we'll delay as long as possible, spend 10x the original budget and take 5x as long as planned to do it and it will only work well for a short time.

[@mikegaskin5542]

Go into Google Earth and follow the FEC mainline through South Florida. The grade crossings are innumerable, the separations wouldn’t be done until the heat death of the universe.

[@markelder7160]

It's call common sense.

[@gregfaris6959]

But you call and call, and no one answers.

[@PeterLGଈ]

Which is remarkably uncommon.

[@forthefunofit3230]

no such thing anymore

[@john-r1i8k]

I hope Delray has good insurance, they will certainly need it on this one Start at a million+ for the fire truck and maybe add a like amount to rebuild the train engine and then let's talk about the negligence and injury law suits that will be filed

[@dan79transam65]

Need to evaluate giving out drivers licenses to just anybody

[@gregfaris6959]

Indeed - your neighbors already brought up your case!

[@stevenmeadows6917]

@@gregfaris6959 Yeah, they said Greg Faris is the worst and most unsafe of them all. They should take his license.

[@alwhalen3488]

ELIMINATE the 'Quiet Zones" and make people constantly aware of the frequent trains passing through the town !

[@MrEricmopar]

Quiet zones have nothing to do with it. A. The driver ignored the lowered gates. B. The driver stopped on the tracks. C. The trains absolutely lay on the horn in an emergency, even in quiet zones... IE quiet zones are not quiet when someone is on the tracks. As usual, a disaster occurred because multiple safety things were ignored by the firetruck driver... Ignoring multiple safety procedures, is how most severe accidents occur.

[@Boxpok]

Gates down, crossing lights activated. You stop, period. Trains have the absolute right of way. The fire department learned a lesson the hard way.

[@terryhartline5600]

Give me a break. DON'T CROSS WHEN THE GATES ARE DOWN. BE RESPONSIBLE.

[@dagger1-140]

You cannot beat a train. Period. The train cannot stop for you. Period. If you play stupid games you get stupid prizes. Waiting an extra minute or two costs nothing. Losing your life costs you everything.

[@pcap2700]

People don't even look when they cross the street no common sense

[@donknupp8864]

@pcap2700 You're right. Pedestrians 2:19 are too busy looking at their phones to pay attention to their surroundings. Then those same pedestrians - who walked into the road from between parked cars without bothering to check their surroundings, try to curse out the drivers 5 the pedestrians' own stupididity - and yes I deliberately typed stupididity.

[@Pokephira]

This is why you need grade separation.

[@Colonel_Blimp]

No. People should observe the road rules.

[@sammydavis991]

Impossible in Florida. Duh.

[@markde9579]

Just admit what happened. The fire truck driver went around the closed gates of a railroad crossing and tried to beat the train and now he lost his job.

[@wesinbama]

In most cases, rail lines predate the roads that cross them, and the development around them, and the land they sit is railroad property. Also, Brightline (in most cases) leases the rails from the another railroad which I believe is mainly the Florida East Cost Railway.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Yes FEC owns the line between West Palm and Miami, they also own a major stake in Brightline.

[@bw4t]

Yep. FEC has been there since 1895. The streamlined passenger trains also whipped through there at 79mph. FEC stopped passenger traffic in 1965, and BLFX started in 2015. Freight operates at 60mph on that line, 15+ trains per day. I used to live in Hollywood, about a mile from the tracks.

[@mr.stonerUDX714]

the driver of the firetruck should be FIRED and JAILED

[@gregfaris6959]

So sick of journalists saying, "So that nothing like this ever happens again.." She forgot to mention that her Rabbit Hole needs more Agency so she can "wrap her head around it".

[@660Oliver]

Never should have happened in the first place. The train always has the right of way.

[@gregfaris6959]

@@660Oliver No bad things should ever happen in the first place. I trust the problem is now solved?

[@660Oliver]

@@gregfaris6959 Not likely. Human nature is to take short cuts. You can't fix stupid.

[@jimpatrick5918]

I did not see any emergency lights flashing on that fire truck. So what was this alleged “emergency?”

[@westhavenor9513]

It's called police & fire entitlement. Rules don't apply to them.

[@josephlalock8378]

what "change for crossings' do they speak of? they got lights, bells, gates, signs that remind you not to stop on tracks. the change needs to be with the drivers, not the trains. brightline-thinning the idiot pool one by one.😂

[@mdt105]

Well, they could have four rather than two arms on the barriers. If the entire width of the road across all lanes is blocked from all directions, nobody will have a choice but to wait. Unless they want to drive off road completely, I guess, but a fence would solve that pretty easily too.

[@FF5754]

So here is something most people don't know. A commercial drivers license or CDL is needed to drive semi trucks and air brake straight trucks and even regular trucks that are over a certian weight. Guess what fire department driver engineers have to drive a fire truck. Hauling water that shifts the weight of the truck and also has air brakes, and is huge .... nothing. They don't have a CDL at all. They take a 40 hour class, called EVOC, which is not even all driving, alot of class room. EVOC is emergency vehicle operation course. Alot of drivers seem to think big fire truck and lights and sirens and they have the green and can speed and run lights and obviously go around down railroad gates. You'd be surprised in how little training fire truck drivers have compared to a CDL driver.

[@exoressdelivers70]

Have you seen how many truck drivers with CDLs have stopped on tracks and been clobbered by trains? Just do a KZbin search. Having a CDL means nothing if the driver is an idiot and doesn't prioritize safety,

[@queenbunnyfoofoo6112]

I'm so tired of people blaming Brightline for these accidents. Lay the blame where it belongs...on the people ignoring the gates/lights and the people choosing to step infront of the trains. Brightline doesn't need to do anything more. Let Darwin dish out the consequences for trying to beat a train.

[@barryrobbins7694]

Look up “grade separation”. Brightline made choices.

[@queenbunnyfoofoo6112]

@barryrobbins7694 Look up Darwin Awards. Drivers/pedestrians make choices. I lived in an area where there were absolutely no gates on our rail line. No accidents. That was because people weren't idiots. Stop making excuses for impatient/entitled people. You're part of the problem with society.

[@dw.7655]

Bravo!! People need to smarten up. Brightline is trying to bring HSR to the masses. When a train the length of Brightline approaches a grade crossing at perhaps 79 mph, the gates go down, train passes, gates go back up, and you can figure that takes about 35 seconds, give or take. So America, are you really that much in a hurry?????

[@barryrobbins7694]

@ It’s comical/embarrassing that Brightline is considered HSR. It’s about 75mph too slow. Japan has never had a fatality in over 60 years of HSR. Their first trains, in 1964, were faster than Brightline.

[@RandomTrainfan]

@@barryrobbins7694 FEC built the original ROW, take it up with them.

[@BoBandits]

2:08 literally on the wrong side of the gates… as a train comes. Maybe it will not change? P.s. KZbin is full of videos of first responders running through intersections without stopping to make clear.

[@madmaninoregon]

Why can't people just OBEY THE LAWS?

[@neilray9357]

EXACTLY!!! 💯

[@donknupp8864]

@madmaninoregon Because that would be too much like right and you can't have that in today's world.

[@gregfaris6959]

There are enough laws on the books to have you and everyone you know put away for good. Be careful what you wish for.

[@T128Productions]

And it’s not like any regular everyday driver either, it’s a freakin’ fire truck out of all things! First responders! Talk about a big waste of life saving equipment.

[@FDPD1]

What a garbage report

[@aNYCdj]

how about this sign on the gate. IF YOU PASS THIS SIGN AND DIE....ITS YOUR FAULT

[@forthefunofit3230]

DAWIN AWAITS.....

[@raceflags]

No emergency vehicle has to come to a stop or proceed with do care and attention, the driver of emergency vehicle is a 100 % liable.I see many police chases and shake my head, serve and protect goes out the window. They all take chance on killing or injuring and can be charged.

[@t.t.6398]

Everyone needs to remember that trains ALWAYS have the right of way. Another fun fact to remember is that the railroad owns the grade crossings, not the government or city or state. The railroad can tell the state to remove the crossings, and the state must listen. Railroads allow roads to cross their tracks and can always remove the permission.

[@freddykagin]

Thank you for sharing with us the truth about this accident. May the Lord continue to bless each person in this. And the Fire Department.

[@petegurdal1844]

No charges for the driver of the fire truck?

[@cavepilot]

People complaining about speeding trains are probably the same people begging for high speed rail for decades.

[@davidg3944]

Not likely. Those who want high-speed trains want to be IN them, not in cars or walking, which is where the conflicts come from. I'd ask if you thought before typing, but you've already answered that question.

[@secondarymainlineproductio3033]

Lets not be stupid. Do not stop on the tracks! The trains dont cause these casualties...its people making wrong choices!

[@T128Productions]

Exactly! There is no reason whatsoever why anyone would cross the tracks when a train is coming!

[@freshpack8928]

It’s not hard, don’t cross the tracks where you’re not supposed to and don’t go around gates that are down.

[@royrice8021]

Remember, Trains don’t stop unless they hit somebody. Don’t be that somebody. 👍

[@_zigzak]

It amazes me how Floridians still don’t understand rail crossings.

[@troycarothers8254]

1:51 Something more is needed to keep driver and pedestrians a statistic. It's called using your noggin. Or common sense.

[@bradleyw3771]

It USE to be called COMMON SENSE!!!!!!!

[@christopherderasmo5041]

What the turning point? Obeying traffic laws?

[@thefpvlife7785]

I live by numerous crossings and I swear I wonder ... how does this continue to happen. Like how?

[@vincentdow5899]

Nothing any of these people said made any sense.

[@gregfaris6959]

What people?

[@falcorthewonderdog2758]

How hard is it to comprehend that you never stop on the tracks?

[@snypa-ck7hn]

the truck driver just didn't expect a 2nd train to be rolling threw directly after one had passed. his instant decision overrode his memory to keep looking both ways. Im sure he will never make that mistake again.

[@dens3096]

He went around the closed gates! What else should you expect but an accident?! He should have stayed in line like everyone else!

[@joehinson9460]

Is it really a mistake to willingly go around downed gates? Sounds like a stupid decision to me. Totally avoidable.

[@davidgeorge4547]

It was not a mistake. It was a willfull action to ignore the lights and drive around the gates! The driver of the firetruck should have his license revoked and held responsible for the damages at minimum.

[@amyhartman6786]

Those gates are censored, they can detect when trains are approaching them. If a train has just passed and the gate stays down that usually means a 2nd train is in very close proximity. There are times a gate can be malfunctioning, but the least you can do is wait and see if another train passes 1st and if one does not then "stop, look and listen" before actually crossing. These were firefighters there was more then one man on that truck, one guy could have got out on foot to check if a train was actually coming and if it was just a gate malfunction "meaning no sight or sound of a train" he could have waved the truck trough.

[@schrap72]

Again, the fire truck could have waited. A train engine outweighs a fire truck by several tons and they CANNOT stop on a dime. You can see a speeding train on the tracks from a distance so whomever was in charge of that fire truck that gave to order to cross the tracks in front of a speeding train bears the responsibility for that accident.

[@RustyFoundry]

Florida just needs a redo at this point. Too much incompetency. These firefighters may have responded to crashes that have resulted from exactly what they just did.

[@QWERT1456]

I haven't read all the comments so sorry if this has been said. 100% of these accidents are the result of CARELESSNESS of the vehicle drivers ignoring a known danger. The railroad operators CSX, Brightline Florida East Coast etc etc cannot be held responsible for other people's actions. Of all people the Fire Department should not be going around lowered gates on the wrong side of the road. STOP LOOK LISTEN, ALWAYS EXPECT A TRAIN, simply having one of the firefighters get out and looking both ways would have prevented this.

[@Mike__B]

So what's the cost of grade separation? How about the cost of the taxpayers buying Brightline a new train engine that their fire department wrecked? How about the cost of a new ladder truck?

[@thefaraz181-]

Don't forget the cost of deaths and injuries from the car driver, train passengers, & even train staff.

[@rjb5847]

separations cost millions per crossing as a minimum. It is not practical or possible to separate every grade crossing.

[@notinterested8397]

@@rjb5847 one crossing was changed to put the street passage under the tracks in my neighborhood in california. A very busy thru-road was closed to everybody for FIVE YEARS, at the cost of 15-20 million dollars, not to mention millions of wasted hours detouring around the closure.

[@lightningsrt4707]

The city of delray is going to pay.

[@CHOCKO895]

They need to reevaluate common sense not the crossing itself. Not only did the truck get hit but what if that train derails with all of those passengers on board

[@gregfaris6959]

No - you are demonstrably wrong. It is not possible to "reevaluate common sense". What needs to be reevaluated is indeed the crossing itself. In fact, we know from existing successful models in Eurpoe and the US Northeast exactly what is needed: Where high speed rail is concerned, the grade crossings need to be ELIMINATED!

[@nomenclature9373]

The area uses double gates on each side of the tracks to prevent such an incident. That is used in Europe and Japan. Either one arm was not working where the fire truck went around the stopped cars or the driver busted through the gate. Either scenario, the apparatus driver is at fault.

[@cknorris3644]

Fireman IGNORES railroad crossing and it's a "turning point"? Only turning point should be a fireman looking for a new job.

[@frankrosenbaum3471]

Maybe the traffic light should be before the crossing and not after it for the direction of travel, and should turn red a few seconds before the cross street light turns red. This way, cars can clear the crossing.

[@64chefhoward]

Were they on a call !!!! No they where not!

[@kennythedragon47]

whats needed is grade separation

[@neilray9357]

Nope! What is needed is drivers with common sense that obeys the law and stop at crossings that have red lights flashing and gates that are down! 🤦‍♂️

[@sammydavis991]

There is no room for 200 overpasses in Florida.

[@Paul_Wetor]

Dual train tracks need extra caution, because there could be two passing trains. Just because one train passes doesn't mean the coast is clear.

[@silversurfer100]

What the hell is a fire truck, allegedly manned by trained safety personnel, doing on the tracks, crossing the tracks, as barriers were being lowered or had been lowered? Eas DEI hiring pactices a factor, improper training, or was it just plain stupidity that put people in charge of that fire truck, a nearly million dollar city asset, violating basic rail crossing safety rules? What ever happened to "look both ways" before crossing? A bunch of firefighters and management personnel need to be sacked.

[@kmbbmj5857]

I've seen too many police/fire/ambulance/school bus drivers who seem to believe the lights and siren are a magic deflector shield that protects them from stupid stuff. Some of the worst are school bus drivers who really should know better.

[@PeterLGଈ]

Nothing to do with DEI, and you know it! Bad training, pressure from the crew boss, pressure of the run, split-second decisions, and first-responder invulnarability all play a part.

[@davidg3944]

@@PeterLGଈ It's only sheep that bleats "DEI! DEI!". They're looking for someone to blame for their own failings in life.

[@vanlepthien6768]

You obviously don't know any good ol' white boys from Florida. Florida Man usually turns out to be one of them.

[@michaelbisgaardlaursen]

Don't stop on train tracks and don't pass when the boom is on the way down. No train is coming so fast that you doesn't have the time to pass safely. It's better to stop before the tracks in a traffic jam instead on the tracks noone is in a hurry when you are in a city. Allways check your surroundings before you do anything

[@mattheww2797]

Pull drivers licenses of those who stop on the tracks

[@gregfaris6959]

How are you getting to work next tuesday?

[@elviraraff6809]

That won't stop them from driving.

[@nomenclature9373]

They are traveling. 😁

[@gregfaris6959]

@@nomenclature9373 🤣

[@scottwendt9575]

Wow! The arrogance is just dripping in this community that this could possibly be their own faults. As a community they have created this climate of carelessness and ignorance. Saying maybe “the gates aren’t working” or “you know we have a lot of tourists.” Where was the fire truck visiting from? They still clearly can’t take responsibility for their actions. This railroad has been there since the 1890s, years before the actual founding of the city. The City and every ignorant resident needs to decide as a community that they are going to stop breaking the law. They are going to allow the railroad to following NTSB and FRA safety standards and close crossing and use their horns. Residents are going to stop trespassing on railroad property and stop ignoring the gates and signals. And, the City is going to spend the money they were given to build barriers put up the mandated signage and educate the citizens. It shouldn’t be just the railroad doing all the work. Also, Brightline needs to start suing this community for every collision for not just the damage to the train, but lost business, schedule delays and damages to their public image.

[@dw.7655]

That was well written

[@demetricirillo5842]

Trains have loud horns for a reason! Use them when approching and at EVERY ROAD CROSSING! Cities "No Train horn ordinances" Over preventing and possibly saving lives is a sad thing! It should be a State Law here in Floriduh. Since there seems to be so many stupid people.

[@dreamsfloatjoe]

Deaf people do not care how loud the horn is

[@nolangillentine773]

​​@@dreamsfloatjoe so... your point is to use an incredibly small minority of people to contradict the comment? Yep, that's the new American way, for sure. 👍

[@boblynch2802]

@@dreamsfloatjoe But for the most part they can still see,

[@demetricirillo5842]

@dreamsfloatjoe and the deaf see alot better as well. They stop when the see red flashing lights and gates that are down. They also can feel the train horn vibrations.

[@dogyerf21]

Turning point? Don’t stop on railroad tracks when the specifically designed gates are flashing and down clearly warning you of danger. We having a turning point with people disobeying an order to stop?

[@mr.railroad2391]

Darwin will take out the idiots, however it also takes the innocent as well, the train crews, just doing their job. They are also permanently effected with never a comment about them. They pay the price for other's stupidity. 40 years on the railroad, I CAN say this from experience.

[@oldninjarider]

Whoever was driving and commanding the actions of that fire truck is responsible for this incident. Brightline should send Delray Beach a bill for damages.

[@dubsounds]

Give them an award. n They were the first First Responders non the scene of the crash

[@goldboi30000]

There’s a simple solution install cameras at the crossings and ticket people stopping on the tracks, and make the fees high

[@barryrobbins7694]

The solution is “grade separation”.

[@amyhartman6786]

Why not install some type of tire blocking device that would come up from the road about 10 feet before all railroad crossings "about where the white line usually is" that would prevent a vehicle from even going through the crossing as soon as the crossing lights kick on, but have them slanted outward so if a vehicle was already halfway though "at the time of activation" it can finish it's way though on the other side. People do this everywhere and it is a big problem that needs solved. I don't live in Florida but I live in a town with many railroad tracks and crossings. Here there are time people will drive up onto the sidewalks to get past rows of traffic that had stopped "as THEY should have" just so they can try and beat the train. Sometimes it does not workout to well for the vehicle or the people inside that do such stunts. Then people complain about the houses near the crossing that let the police cars set up in their garage or driveways to catch them, well no one wants a chance of a freight derailment to happen in their yards either though.

[@ronbennett7885]

That would help, but instead of waiting 30 seconds at most for a train to approach, drivers would be waiting upwards of several minutes for the crossing to be verified clear along with longer lead times of trains for safety. That's the tradeoff of the approach you're suggesting. Double-barriers (no way to go around) is widely used in the UK.

[@neilray9357]

You can't fix stupid! How about people stop for the flashing lights and gates that are down, just like the law says! 🤦‍♂️

[@crm6270]

There are no safe crossing at grade with railroad tracks. Bridge over the tracks or put underpasses below them. look at the busy northeast railroads built up over 100 years ago. The North East Corridor between DC and Boston doesn't have one crossing at grade between DC and New Haven CT. Not one road crossing at all !

[@iworkout6912]

I live near a busy RR crossing with CSX with both their trains and Amtrak going by all the time. There is a cam so you can watch the crossing. I see all the time when cars back up onto the tracks because a car ahead is stopped to make a turn left off the main street. You see cars get hit by the gates because of traffic ahead. Drivers stop because they aren't paying attention on what is going on ahead of them. At that area along Brightline in Florida I see traffic signals just a short distance away and lots of traffic that gets backed up, some on the crossing, while the traffic signal is red.

[@m.j.n.808]

State needs to give Brightline a big big grant to elevate the tracks if they want this to stop

[@BWCSoFlo]

It will cost a lot of money but it will eliminate soo any problems. This is 80 plus miles of elevation.

[@gristlybear615]

It is not Brightline’s tracks. The tracks belong to the Florida East Coast Railway.

[@m.j.n.808]

@@gristlybear615 florida east coast railway is brightline

[@gristlybear615]

@@m.j.n.808no. The FEC is the freight railroad company that owns the tracks and runs freight services down to Miami. Brightline is a passenger service that uses the FEC tracks.

[@m.j.n.808]

@gristlybear615 FEC owne brightline. It is literally the same company