Passenger Trains > FL: Vehicle vs Amtrak train in Indiantown

An Amtrak train collided with a vehicle on the tracks in rural western Martin County on Saturday afternoon. The train was likely traveling at 79 mph on the CSX right of way north of town. Three occupants had left the car ahead of the collision.  No injuries to the crew or train passengers.  This is a straight section of track for several miles.

Not mentioned in the TC Palm article: This area is populated largely by small agricultural communities, and the many railroad crossings are protected by just crossbucks. Some crossings are actual county roads, some are private farm or colony access, some have unclear history.  In 2022, the school board ceased sending school buses over unprotected crossings. Kids get out at some crossings, and walk home. The school board, railroad, property owners, farmers, and county periodically wrangle over new crossings but it is rare to see actual progress.  There are protected signalled crossings for several industries in the area.

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/martin-county/2024/02/24/3-people-including-a-child-safe-after-vehicle-collides-with-amtrak-train/72729210007/
 

Was the car somehow stuck on the tracks?  How does this even happen that the occupants get out of the car and out of the way?  It just does not make sense.

 

We had this happen once on the way to New Orleans. Two ladies got scared when the crossing gates started going down and didn't want to back up as it might scratch their car. They got out in tome and guess what Antrak did to their car. We also had a several hour delay for an investigation. Some folks are just plain dumb!!

No matter how hard the railroads, the local communities, and the highway departments across our country try, they cannot fix stupidity.  Many of these people should not be driving a vehicle period.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was the car somehow stuck on the tracks?  How
> does this even happen that the occupants get out
> of the car and out of the way?  It just does not
> make sense.

Well, if we are to somehow believe the wording in the news article, since the pickup collided into the train, the pickup must have been in motion and the occupants must have jumped out while it was still in motion and before it ran into the train.

Excellence in reporting...

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not mentioned in the TC Palm article: This area is
> populated largely by small agricultural
> communities, and the many railroad crossings are
> protected by just crossbucks. Some crossings are
> actual county roads, some are private farm or
> colony access, some have unclear history.  In
> 2022, the school board ceased sending school buses
> over unprotected crossings. Kids get out at some
> crossings, and walk home. The school board,
> railroad, property owners, farmers, and county
> periodically wrangle over new crossings but it is
> rare to see actual progress.  There are protected
> signalled crossings for several industries in the
> area.

This sounded fishy, as I knew the state and counties had invested in making this Amtrak line safer, so I did some checking.  Sure enough, in the 99 miles between Sebring and Mangonia Park, 37 of the 46 crossings have gates and lights. 

Six of the remaining nine crossings are private with locked gates on one or both sides of the tracks, set back at least 75' from fouling so a truck can safely cross into the clear.  Eight are protected by at least stop signs, and the other one in Okeechobee by a yield and crossbucks, but it is next to a road with an overpass.  All six south of Okeechobee have orange advance warning signs saying no lights and gates, ahead of the crossbucks and stop signs.   Some minor crossings have been closed.

The only crossing without lights and gates in those 99 miles that serves several residences where a school bus would need to cross is Amaryllis Ave north of Indiantown.  The Okeechoobee Second Street crossing is easily bypassed on the overpass road next to it.  Three other private crossings serve six residences between them, the rest are gravel access paths to fields or utilities.   

I seen to recall a school bus dispute about an unguarded crossing, but the line is not some dystopia that you imply of favored industries getting lights and gates while many communities of forgotten worker bees are forced to use unguarded crossings and forego school buses. 



 

 

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was the car somehow stuck on the tracks?  How
> does this even happen that the occupants get out
> of the car and out of the way?  It just does not
> make sense.

>  That's something I have always wondered.  What is it about two steel rails, 4'-8.5" apart that causes
cars and trucks to quit running?  I guess it's just some kind of magic we don't understand.

John

The collision was at Amarylis Avenue crossing. Cross bucks only.

Posted from Android

baretables Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Not mentioned in the TC Palm article: This area
> is
> > populated largely by small agricultural
> > communities, and the many railroad crossings
> are
> > protected by just crossbucks. Some crossings
> are
> > actual county roads, some are private farm or
> > colony access, some have unclear history.  In
> > 2022, the school board ceased sending school
> buses
> > over unprotected crossings. Kids get out at
> some
> > crossings, and walk home. The school board,
> > railroad, property owners, farmers, and county
> > periodically wrangle over new crossings but it
> is
> > rare to see actual progress.  There are
> protected
> > signalled crossings for several industries in
> the
> > area.
>
> This sounded fishy, as I knew the state and
> counties had invested in making this Amtrak line
> safer, so I did some checking.  Sure enough, in
> the 99 miles between Sebring and Mangonia Park, 37
> of the 46 crossings have gates and lights. 
>
> Six of the remaining nine crossings are private
> with locked gates on one or both sides of the
> tracks, set back at least 75' from fouling so a
> truck can safely cross into the clear.  Eight are
> protected by at least stop signs, and the other
> one in Okeechobee by a yield and crossbucks, but
> it is next to a road with an overpass.  All six
> south of Okeechobee have orange advance warning
> signs saying no lights and gates, ahead of the
> crossbucks and stop signs.   Some minor
> crossings have been closed.
>
> The only crossing without lights and gates in
> those 99 miles that serves several residences
> where a school bus would need to cross is
> Amaryllis Ave north of Indiantown.  The
> Okeechoobee Second Street crossing is easily
> bypassed on the overpass road next to it.  Three
> other private crossings serve six residences
> between them, the rest are gravel access paths to
> fields or utilities.   
>
> I seen to recall a school bus dispute about an
> unguarded crossing, but the line is not some
> dystopia that you imply of favored industries
> getting lights and gates while many communities of
> forgotten worker bees are forced to use unguarded
> crossings and forego school buses. 
>
>
>

You're partly right, at least as far as Martin County and far northern Palm Beach County are concerned.  The fatal crash site at JW Corbett wildlife reserve now has gates and lights. A woman and two kids were killed on that crossing.  That's an improvement. The "Grade Road" crossing south of the St Lucie Canal is ungated, and not protected by automatic signals.

In Martin County, the 2023 satellite view of the Silver Fox crossing now shows gates, I believe they are relatively new. In the past few years.

The Brady Farm dirt road crossing at 27942 SW Warfield Highway has a gate, but I've never seen it closed. That may be the access to six homes, although it looks like more. And the aforementioned Amarylis Avenue crossing.

The Amarylis and Brady Farm crossings are mentioned in a 2021 notice of planned maintenance / closings by CSX. 

I didn't proceed into Okeechobee county and northward.

I recall more crossings, but perhaps I'm wrong. Or they are farther north.

 

From the looks of auto remains it does look like it collided with the tran due to front end damage  and marks on the side do not show direct contact rather it has scrapes down the side.
Also a mention about a Briteline death of a woman struck by them in a statement below the suv hit. Paywall on both.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/24 12:09 by BAB.

The BrightLine death may have been the woman standing on the tracks in Vero Beach on Thursday or Friday.

There's a letter to the editor in TC Palm today asking them to stop talking about how deadly BrightLine is. Most of the deaths are from people standing in the gauge, or going around the gates, etc.