Man Ran In Front Of Brightline Train: Police

BOYNTON BEACH, FL — Police believe that the man who was killed by a Brightline train Wednesday in Boynton Beach intentionally ran in front of the higher speed train. The incident occurred between East Gateway Boulevard and Miner Road, according to Boynton Beach police. Police still had not identified the victim as of late Thursday morning.

"Detectives are still working to notify the victim’s next of kin," explained Stephanie Slater of the Boynton Beach Police Department. "At this point in the investigation, it appears that the 29-year-old man ran in front of the train in an apparent suicide."

There have been at least eight deaths since the service began its testing on Florida East Coast Railway tracks late last year From West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale. At least several of the earlier victims had drugs in their systems, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office.

See also Brightline Rolls Into Miami Amid Safety Concerns

"The northbound train struck the male on the train tracks between East Gateway Boulevard and Miner Road at around 6:28 p.m," Slater said following Wednesday's incident. "No roadways are affected by the investigation."

In May, Brightline expanded its service to include Miami as the third stop of the system along with West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. But while the expansion of the only privately funded inter-city train service in the United States clearly ushers in a new era of transportation for car-dependent South Florida, it also brings with it new challenges from a safety perspective.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano