As young as 17, as old as 84: These are the 196 people killed by Brightline trains

Today, the Miami Herald and WLRN publish a memorial list of the 196 people struck and killed by Brightline trains in Florida since 2017 — to honor their lives, raise awareness about the deadly Brightline corridor and spark conversations about how public safety can be improved.

Their lives ended suddenly, and often without recognition. Some were mocked or derided in social media posts and online commentary.

Their families are hurting. So are the train crews.

Over the course of a year, the Herald and WLRN, South Florida’s NPR member station, investigated the reasons why the Brightline passenger rail system is America’s deadliest. We reviewed the circumstances of each death, in police files and autopsy reports, to understand why so many people are dying — one every 13 days, on average.

That year of reporting produced the first comprehensive accounting of Brightline deaths — and the names of those who died.

All but 26 were on foot or bicycle. More than half were walking across the tracks where there are no gates or bells, and usually, no fences.

The Brightline corridor still lacks protections that could prevent deaths. Some safety improvements are coming, funded largely by taxpayers with help from Brightline.

The memorial roster begins with 18-year-old Madison “Maddie” Brunelle, who was struck by a Brightline train on a test run in 2017. The list concludes with the Dec. 21 death of 63-year-old John Joseph Aulenti in Dania Beach.

The death toll continues to climb.

NOTE: We’ve used name spellings and ages derived straight from official documents. Dates reflect when the accident occurred, not necessarily the date the person died. If you see a mistake, please let us know so we can correct it. Email us at bwallman@miamiherald.com.

Brittany Wallman

Miami Herald

305-376-2056

Brittany Wallman joined the Miami Herald in 2023 as an investigative journalist. She has been a reporter in South Florida for 25 years, and shared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, for coverage of the Parkland school shooting. She grew up in Iowa and Oklahoma. Brittany is a graduate of the University of Florida.