Delivery robot vs Brightline 🚆
🎥: trainwithgui/IG pic.twitter.com/psQvZqztlr
— Joel Franco (@OfficialJoelF) January 16, 2026
WASHINGTON — When a video went viral recently of a food-delivery robot being crushed by a Brightline train at a Miami grade crossing, most people viewed it as a source of one-liners. (“Looks like they ordered a smashburger,” one commenter said.)
One congressman saw it differently.
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.), who represents a district at the west end of the state’s Panhandle, this week sent a letter to the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, calling for the NTSB to take action on the Jan. 15 incident and saying the incident raised “serious questions” about robots interacting with infrastructure.
“Given the rapid evolution of autonomous technologies, we must ensure that our transportation safety framework evolves as well,” Patronis said in a press release. “This incident highlights a gap in our understanding of how autonomous vehicles interact with railroad systems. It is important that we address these risks now before a more serious incident occurs.”
Patronis inquired about the status of an NTSB investigation into the incident and what recommendations the agency has developed, and asked a series of questions, among them:
- Did the incident trigger any of the NTSB’s reporting requirements?
- What investigative response, if any, is the NTSB pursuing or planning to pursue?
- Is the NTSB currently conducting a broader study of autonomous vehicles at railroad crossings?
The press release includes what is intended as a link to the full letter; the link is broken.
Trains has asked the NTSB if it is, in fact, investigating the incident and has any comment on the letter.
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
I don’t have any answers but I do have a question. What insurance company in its right mind insures these robots. Or the robotaxis.
Oh while I’m at it, off topic. Read the article in the January 2026 “Chess Life” magazine about a chess tournament about the Mardi Gras train. For a moment I thought I was reading “Trains Magazine” instead of the chess periodical.
This isn’t the first time a delivery robot has come off poorly vs a train. A few years ago another one got nailed by a Portland & Western freight train, probably in or around Oregon State University. You can find video of that too.
The other day I was wondering how well autonomous vehicles such as Waymo’s robotaxis navigate railroad crossings, particularly ones without lights or gates. We should figure that out before we have a more serious train vs robot incident.
Here is an answer – people use the food delivery services because they are too lazy to go to the restaurant/cafe.