VERO BEACH — A driver escaped serious injuries after a Brightline train collided with her vehicle Monday morning, police said. Officers closed two roads in the immediate area for a little more than an hour to investigate the crash.
Police responded to reports of a wreck involving Brightline and a white BMW car about 10:03 a.m. along the tracks near Commerce Avenue, 20th Place and 21st Street, said Officer Kelsea Callahan, a spokesperson for the Vero Beach Police Department. Officers arrived within two minutes.
“The driver was still in the vehicle during impact but she did not have any injuries,” Callahan said. “She refused to be transported to the hospital.”
Callahan said the crossing arms, flashing red lights and siren were working properly at the time of the collision. The woman was the only person in the car at the time of the crash, Assistant Fire Chief Bill Herrington said.
Officers closed westbound 20th Place and 21st Street near Commerce Avenue.
The roads were reopened by noon, Callahan said. It was not immediately clear how fast the train was traveling and which direction it was headed.
This is the fourth Brightline crash to occur this year in Indian River County and the first to involve a vehicle. The other three crashes involved pedestrians who were fatally struck by the high-speed train.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
