A Delray Beach Fire Rescue ladder truck sits demolished along the Florida East Coast Railway tracks downtown after being struck by a Brightline passenger train on Saturday morning. Three firefighters and a dozen train passengers were taken to the hospital. Fire hoses litter the the tracks alongside the hard-to recognize body of the fire truck. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
A northbound Brightline train crashed into a Delray Beach Fire Rescue ladder truck Saturday morning, sending three firefighters and a dozen train passengers to the hospital, officials said.
The crash occurred at the Florida East Coast Railway crossing at Southeast First Street, a block south of busy East Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach, at about 10:45 a.m., according to a city news release.
“Three Delray Beach firefighters were transported to a local hospital, where they remain in stable condition,” according to the official release. “Palm Beach County Fire Rescue provided assistance, transporting 12 individuals from the train to the hospital with minor injuries.”
Two Delray Beach firefighters walk past a portion of the fire truck's ladder, which was broken in two and knocked off the top of the truck.
The accident and investigation have led to traffic back-ups downtown. Both Southeast First Street and Atlantic Avenue near the FEC tracks were blocked to traffic as of early Saturday afternoon and police are advising downtown motorists to use Southeast Second Street or Northeast First Street to cross the FEC tracks.
Officials said an active investigation is underway involving the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Delray Beach police and officials from Brightline.
The roads are expected to reopen to traffic once the investigation and any necessary cleanup are complete, officials said.
--Staff report
A Brightline train came to rest blocking Atlantic Avenue after striking a Delray Beach fire truck. The train's cracked windshield and pushed-in front showed the power of the impact.
Correction: An earlier version of this story had incorrect street listings due to misinformation on city social media accounts.
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