Brightline train hits, kills man walking along railway tracks in Delray Beach

Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·1 min read

DELRAY BEACH — A 50-year-old man died Monday night in Delray Beach when a Brightline train struck him as he walked along the tracks, city police said.

According to a statement issued Tuesday, Jeffrey Balsewich was illegally on the southbound tracks along the 2200 block of North Old Dixie Highway when the train hit him shortly before 10 p.m.

The report did not indicate where Balsewich lived or why he was walking along the tracks.

HIs death brings the total of Brightline fatalities in Palm Beach County to at least 28 since the rail line began service between West Palm Beach and Miami in January 2018, according to Palm Beach Post records.

In the schools: Lake Worth High teacher recommended for firing after 'racially charged' classroom incident

In the courts: Citing 'bigotry' and 'irreparable harm,' judge strikes down Florida transgender care ban

Brightline officials have noted that the fatalities have involved either pedestrians walking on the tracks or motorists who try to beat trains. None have been the fault of their engineers, they said.

There are few barriers in Palm Beach County to the FEC Railway tracks that Brightline uses. The rail line has launched a safety campaign to make pedestrians and drivers more aware of potential dangers.

Since January, the county has had four crashes involving Brightline resulting in five deaths, including a pedestrian in May who was hit and killed in a crash at 10th Avenue South and South H Street in Lake Worth Beach.

In February, two people in Delray Beach were killed when their vehicle was struck on a railroad crossing at Lindell Boulevard and Old Dixie Highway.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray Beach police: Brightline train hits, kills man walking along tracks