DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The fire chief in Delray Beach has pledged that the collision between one of the city’s fire trucks and a Brightline passenger train will be “a moment from which we will learn and grow.”
In a post today (Dec. 31, 2024) on the Delray Beach Fire Rescue Facebook page, Fire Chief Ronald Martin says the agency is “thankful there were no fatalities and remain committed to working diligently to implement future incidents. … This crash is a sobering reminder that emergency responders must always balance the urgency inherent in their work with caution, ensuring that the safety of our community remains our guiding principle.”
Fifteen people, including three firefighters, were injured Sunday, Dec. 28 when the Brightline train hit the fire truck at the Southeast First Street grade crossing in downtown Delray Beach [see “Fifteen injured in collision …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 28, 2024]. Video from the train’s forward-facing camera released by Brightline shows the fire truck driving around lowered crossing gates; witnesses had said the truck went around the gates after a Florida East Coast Railway freight train cleared the crossing.
Martin’s message says the department is “fully cooperating” with investigations by Delray Beach police, Brightline, and the National Transportation Safety Board. He also thanks those who assisted the three injured firefighters — two of which were initially reported in serious condition — and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue for its work after the incident. He did not provide any update on the condition of the firefighters; on Sunday, he had said the two most seriously injured were stable but facing long hospital stays.
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