NTSB investigating Melbourne train accidents after 2 fatal Brightline crashes in 3 days

The National Transportation Safety Board said it would send a team to Melbourne to investigate a pair of fatal crashes involving Brightline trains that happened at the same crossing within three days.

The NTSB said on social media it would work with Melbourne police on a safety investigation.

The crashes occurred on WH Jackson Street just off U.S. 1 in Melbourne, resulting in three deaths. Two people were killed Friday when a southbound high-speed train collided with a pickup. Lisa Ann Batchelder, 52, of Melbourne, was driving the truck, while Michael Anthony Degasperi, 54, also of Melbourne, was a passenger.

On Wednesday, a northbound Brightline train crashed into an SUV, killing the driver, Charles Phillips, 62, of Melbourne. Three other people were injured, including a 9-year-old child from Palm Bay.

Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey said Friday police told him the driver in the most recent deadly crash was seen going around the railroad gates as they were closing. Melbourne police said they were investigating eyewitnesses.

Brightline has been maligned by deaths of pedestrians who were struck by the trains since the high-speed rail service started in 2018 going between Palm Beach and Miami. On the first day of extended service to Orlando in September, a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a Brightline train.

Since the passenger trains began running through Brevard County, there have been four fatal crashes involving Brightline trains along the populous U.S. 1 corridor. The other two were pedestrian deaths: 60-year-old Lisa Marie Molnar, of Melbourne, died on October 19; and 36-year-old Katherine Stimus, 36, of Melbourne, died on December 24. Both were struck near the same area near Aurora Road and Cypress Avenue, about 3 miles north of the site of last week's crashes.

Is the Brightline train safe?

The train blares a horn when approaching intersections or cutting through heavily populated areas, and gate arms come down to block traffic from crossing the tracks. Alfrey said he and other city officials are working with Brightline to implement safety measures. The tracks are privately owned, with two railway arms blocking access on either side.

"I need to stress to people, you have to follow traffic laws, including around trains ... this is about personal responsibility; you can't be dumb," Alfrey said.

How many people have been killed by Brightline trains?

A TCPalm analysis of federal data found Brightline trains killed more people per mile in the U.S. last year and more people in Florida since its founding in 2017 than any other railroad company.

At least 97 people were killed by Brightline trains in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties through July 30, 2023, according to Federal Railroad Administration records updated October 5.

According to The Associated Press, five people have been killed since service extended to Orlando on September 22.

How fast does Brightline go?

Brightline trains have a top speed of 130 mph, making them the fastest in Florida history, the company said. Brightline has said trains will travel up to 110 mph between Cocoa and West Palm Beach and 125 mph between Orlando and Cocoa. The company also has said trains would go 70-80 mph through downtowns.

TCPalm measured train speeds and clocked Brightline trains going between 23 and 82 mph at various points from Hobe Sound and Stuart north to Vero Beach and Sebastian.

What happens next?

NTSB spokeswoman Sarah Taylor Sulick told The Associated Press would be on the site in Melbourne for several days, starting Saturday.

She told AP a preliminary report would be ready within 30 days with a full report released in 12 to 14 months.

Florida Today reporters J.D. Gallop and Tyler Vazquez and TCPalm reporter Lindsey Leake contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Brightline train accident: NTSB to investigate Melbourne FL deaths