Gates were lowered at time of back-to-back Brightline crashes in Melbourne that killed 3, NTSB says
MELBOURNE, Fla. - New details have been released about the back-to-back Brightline crashes that killed three people last month in Melbourne, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday.
The two deadly crashes happened on Wednesday, Jan. 10 and Friday, Jan. 12 at the same intersection in Melbourne: W H Jackson Street and South Harbor City Boulevard. This triggered an investigation by the NTSB to "better understand the safety issues at this crossing," agency spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick told The Associated Press last month.
A preliminary investigation revealed that in both incidents, which claimed the lives of Lisa Ann Batchelder, 52, Michael Anthony Degasperi, 54, and Charles Julian Phillips, 62, the train crossing gates were lowered, and the flashing lights and bells were activated.
Photo shows scene after a Brightline train collided with a truck in Melbourne on Friday, January 12, 2024.
The drivers in both incidents drove around the lowered gates and entered the crossing at the same time Brightline trains were traveling down the rail. In the Jan. 10 crash, the train was traveling at 68 mph, and two days later, a different Brightline train was traveling at about 78 mph, the NTSB said.
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Aftermath of Brightline crash on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.
NTSB's preliminary report did not reveal whether alcohol or drugs were factors in either crash, if at all. The second crash is still under investigation, and the NTSB said they plan to issue safety recommendations to prevent this from happening again.
Since Brightline began operating in Melbourne in July 2017, at least 108 people have been killed. But none of those deaths have been found to be Brightline's fault. Most have been suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of the train, or drivers who maneuvered around crossing gates rather than wait.
In the aftermath of the back-to-back crashes, Brightline recently installed yellow poles and a new monitoring system that will capture drivers who go around lowered crossing arms. These cameras were first installed in South Florida after drivers were constantly getting caught breaking the law.
Drivers who go around the lowered crossing arms will get a warning in the mail, and their information will be sent to law enforcement. Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey said he only supports enforcing these violations if drivers are caught by police, however.
"I don’t believe a private company should have the ability to fine a citizen. I think an officer or someone that witnesses a violation should," Alfrey said.
Alfrey added that $45 million worth of safety upgrades at this Brightline railroad crossing are in the works. Some of the proposed upgrades include red light cameras at the gates, concrete curbs and different systems that alert drivers.