UPDATE (3:42 p.m. EST):
By Shira Moolten
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Officials are investigating a train crash with a fire truck in crowded downtown Delray Beach Saturday afternoon.
The crash took place in the area of East Atlantic Avenue and Southeast First Avenue.
A Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front completely destroyed about a block away from a twisted fire truck that lay on its side. Its ladder had been ripped off and lay in the grass several yards away.
“We will begin our evacuation procedures momentarily,” an announcement could be heard blaring from the train’s speakers about 12:30 p.m. Shortly after, passengers began evacuating from the stopped train onto a new train.
Delray Beach Police and Fire Rescue, city officials and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue were on scene but have not provided many details about the crash.
Streams of passersby flocked to the scene from where they had been working, enjoying brunch and shopping, taking videos and asking officials what had taken place.
Jordan Kotellos was working as a bar back nearby when he heard a loud bang and thought the train had derailed. He ran over with another bar back, where he said he saw a firefighter lying on the ground, bleeding while a woman put his head on her knee to keep it elevated. He said he also saw another injured firefighter.
“I’ve worked on the Ave for ten years and this is the third incident I’ve witnessed,” Kotellos said, citing a pedestrian fatality and a woman whose heel got stuck. “Why have train tracks in one of the busiest spots in Delray?”
Three firefighters and multiple Brightline passengers were injured, according to Delray Beach Police Traffic Sgt. Matt Sarazeni.
All firefighters are conscious in the hospital. The train passengers had minor injuries.
Sarazini could not immediately say what caused the crash or where the fire truck was heading.
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EARLIER:
By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Authorities in Delray Beach are investigating a collision between a Delray Beach Fire Rescue ladder truck and a Brightline passenger train.
According to BocaNewsNow, a witness reported that the fire truck drove around the crossing gates after a freight train had passed and was struck by the passenger train.
Delray Beach firefighters gathered at Delray Medical Center, where several firefighters were transported for treatment. Authorities have not disclosed the exact number of patients.
Photos shared on social media show the ladder truck overturned and damage to the passenger train.
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