Man Crossing Tracks Killed By Brightline Train In Hollywood

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami/AP) - A man was struck and killed by a Brightline train as he tried to cross the railroad tracks in Hollywood.

Police said it happened just after 6:30 p.m. at Harrison Street and S Dixie Highway.

Thursday night's crash marks at least the sixth death involving Brightline since it resumed operations late last year following a shutdown for much of the pandemic.

Other recent deaths include a 68-year-old man and his sister who were struck by a train when the brother drove his SUV around a lowered crossing gate.

These deaths continue a trend that shows Brightline to have the worst fatality rate among the country's approximately 800 railroads since it began test runs in mid-2017, according to an Associated Press analysis of Federal Railroad Administration data.

None of the 52 earlier deaths involving Brightline have been blamed on its equipment or crews. Investigations showed most victims were either suicidal, intoxicated, mentally ill or had gone around barriers at an intersection in an attempt to beat the trains, which travel up to 79 mph through densely populated areas between Miami and West Palm Beach.

(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)