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South Florida Rail Corridor Sees Two Deadly Pedestrian Strikes in 24 Hours

The back-to-back fatalities are sharpening attention on safety along the shared Florida East Coast Railway corridor.

Overview

  • A Brightline train struck a pedestrian around 1:30 a.m. Sunday in Fort Lauderdale near the 700 block of North Andrews Avenue; the man was pinned under the train and died shortly after extrication despite a multagency rescue effort.
  • On Saturday around 6:20 p.m., pedestrians were hit by a train along the 500 block of Monroe Drive in West Palm Beach, leaving one person dead and another hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
  • West Palm Beach officials said a Brightline train was not involved in that crash, which occurred on Florida East Coast Railway tracks used by both freight and Brightline service.
  • Investigations into both weekend incidents are underway, with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue noting assistance from Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue and Florida East Coast Railway personnel.
  • The corridor has faced persistent safety concerns, with a Miami Herald count placing deaths just below 200 through 2025 as governments and Brightline invest in upgrades and planners study grade separations such as tunnels or overpasses in Fort Lauderdale.