Accident – death – Obituary News :

Brightline Train Accidents in Florida Under Investigation by National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced that it will be conducting an investigation into two recent Brightline train accidents in Florida, both of which occurred at the same railroad crossing along the high-speed train’s route between Miami and Orlando. These accidents have resulted in the tragic loss of three lives.

The first accident took place on Wednesday, followed by a second incident on Friday, at an intersection along the US-1 corridor in Melbourne, situated on Florida’s Atlantic coast. Brightline, a bullet train service, operates daily routes to and from South Florida. Unfortunately, since the launch of the 160-mile extension between South Florida and Orlando in September, there have been a total of five fatalities at this crossing, according to data compiled by the Associated Press.

The victims of Friday’s accident were identified as Lisa Ann Batchelder, 52, the driver, and Michael Anthony Degasperi, 54, the passenger, both from Melbourne. On Wednesday, Charles Julian Phillips, aged 62, lost his life when his vehicle was struck by a Brightline train. Melbourne Police reported that three other passengers in the vehicle sustained injuries.

Following the incidents, Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey expressed his concerns, stating that the SUV involved in the collision was attempting to evade the train. He revealed that he has spoken with Brightline officials about conducting another public safety campaign to educate riders about the dangers of railroad crossings, particularly due to the high speeds at which the trains travel.

Mayor Alfrey emphasized the importance of following safety precautions, stating, “If your arm is down, don’t walk around. There is no good result with one move. This is an unfortunate situation. We have experienced yet another loss of life. Safety precautions are there for a reason, and people need to follow them.”

Brightline’s distinctive neon yellow trains are capable of reaching speeds of up to 201 km/h in certain sections. The journey between Miami and Orlando, covering a distance of 230 miles (378 kilometers), takes approximately 30 minutes less than the average travel time of 3.5 hours.

The NTSB team arrived on-site on Saturday and is expected to remain there for several days. Their objective is to thoroughly investigate the safety issues surrounding this particular intersection and explore potential measures to prevent or mitigate similar accidents in the future. Sarah Taylor Sulick, a spokesperson for the NTSB, confirmed that a preliminary report will be released within 30 days, followed by a final report in 12 to 24 months.

While Brightline has not responded to requests for comment, the company has taken steps to improve safety awareness. Warning signs have been installed near intersections to alert drivers to the presence of fast-moving trains.

The three fatalities in Melbourne this week bring the total number of deaths associated with Brightline train operations since its inception in July 2017 to at least 108. Based on a rolling tally analysis by the Associated Press, this translates to a mortality rate of one death for every 38,000 miles (61,000 kilometers) traveled, making it the railway company with the highest rate among the more than 800 rail companies in the country. Another notable casualty figure belongs to California commuter line Caltrain, which has the second-worst rate, averaging one fatality per 125,000 miles (201,000 kilometers) since 2017.

It is worth mentioning that none of the previous deaths associated with Brightline were attributed to the fault of the railroad. The majority of incidents involved suicides, pedestrians attempting to cross the tracks in front of the train, or drivers disregarding barriers and attempting to bypass them.

.