Train collides with fire truck in Florida, several suspended by fire chief
On the weekend following New Year’s Eve, a video of a Brightline passenger train in Delray Beach, Florida crashing into a fire truck went viral due to the negligence of a few firefighters. The truck ignored dropped crossing lines to stop cars from passing over hot tracks, but the truck ignored it. Just seconds after it went onto the tracks, the truck hit it at full speed.
The fire truck collision injured twelve train passengers and three responders, leading the Delray Beach Fire and Rescue Department’s chief to publicly suspend the firefighters responsible for the accident.
“Effective immediately, Assistant Chief Kevin Green, Division Chief Tod Lynch, Captain Brian Fiorey, and Driver Engineer David Wyatt have been placed on administrative leave with pay, pending the results of an internal administrative investigation to determine if City and Fire Rescue policies and procedures were followed,” wrote Chief Ronald Martin in a statement.
Social media blamed the firefighters, too
Chief Ronald Martin reportedly faced backlash on X after publicly naming those responsible for the fire truck crash. Martin argued it was to build public trust and ensure accountability, as several people across the social media landscape didn’t think an emergency justified the accident.
“As a firefighter/engineer on the West Coast, we never go through the gates,” wrote a viewer on WLPG’s YouTube channel. “We will report a delay by train. This will let our dispatch know to adjust the dispatch response and other units to change other ways to respond.”
Others think that fire truck drivers should be charged as criminals for ignoring training.
“Who the hell drives around a train barrier? They should be charged criminally with destroying government property,” one viewer wrote. “What the hell were they thinking?”
Another thought it was wild for people to blame the train line for the accident.
“I can’t believe that some people are blaming Brightline,” they wrote. “Even in emergencies, trains ALWAYS have the right of way as trains can’t stop on a dime. Sometimes it can hundreds, if not thousands of feet to stop. When the gates are down, you don’t go around.”
