Delray Beach police ID man, 82, woman, 77, killed when Brightline train struck SUV
DELRAY BEACH — City police have identified the two people killed Feb. 8 when a Brightline train struck their SUV.
Police say Arthur Jacobson, 82, and Bette Jacobson, 77, died after the southbound train hit their Nissan Rogue while it was stopped on the Florida East Coast Railway tracks at Lindell Boulevard and Old Dixie Highway.
Witnesses told investigators the SUV was on the easternmost track while the railroad's safety arms were down about 8 p.m. A northbound freight train passed the car without incident. The southbound Brightline train struck the SUV moments later.
It was not immediately clear how fast the Brightline train was traveling at the time of impact and where the Jacobsons were going. The couple lived part time in the Kings Point community west of the city, police said.
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Preliminary NTSB report on crash due in March
Delray Beach police and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting parallel investigations into the wreck. A spokesperson for the NTSB said a preliminary report would likely take about 30 days to complete.
At least 25 people have been killed by Brightline trains in Palm Beach County since 2017, when the rail company began testing for passenger service that started in 2018 between West Palm Beach and Miami.
Brightline officials have been quick to note that the fatalities have involved pedestrians walking on the tracks or motorists who try to beat trains. None has been the fault of their engineers, they said.
Brightline and the Florida Department of Transportation are investing millions in making rail crossings safer. They also are seeking federal grant money to help pay for projects such as barriers to keep pedestrians and motorists off the tracks and from going around crossing gates.
Congressman Brian Mast asks Brightline to delay expansion to Orlando
In the wake of the fatal Delray Beach crash, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, an outspoken critic of Brightline, has called for the company to pause its planned expansion of passenger service from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport.
Brightline officials announced this week that the company intends to offer service to Central Florida by the second quarter of 2023, with hopes of extending the service to Tampa by the end of the decade.
The railway is testing trains at speeds of up to 110 mph in northern Palm Beach County through March. High-speed tests previously took place in the Treasure Coast. Mast's district covers both regions.
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: Couple killed in Brightline train crash in Delray Beach identified
