Maserati driver is dead following crash with a Virgin/Brightline train
One person was killed Thursday after a Virgin/Brightline train crashed into a Maserati sports car on the railroad tracks in Oakland Park, according to fire rescue officials.
The sports car driver was trying to beat the train but didn’t make it across the tracks in time, said David Rafter, fire rescue spokesman. The collision caused a brief fire, but it was quickly extinguished.
The crash happenbed near Northeast 34th Street and Dixie Highway just after 10:30 a.m. The northbound train, which was heading to West Palm Beach, came to a stop north of Northeast 38th Street across from Funky Buddha, a popular local brewery. The charred, mangled car remained stuck underneath it.
The driver of the car died at the crossing. The train’s conductor was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. None of the train’s passengers required medical transport.
Rafter said the train was damaged and “disabled” after the crash. He expects it will take a few hours for the train to be removed and for the scene to be cleared.
Traffic is closed from Northeast 38th Street to Dixie Highway. Drivers are being re-routed and are asked to avoid the area. The passengers on board the train were reportedly evacuated.
Virgin/Brightline officials declined to comment.
The driver’s identity has not been released.
This story was originally published September 12, 2019 at 12:27 PM.
