On Thursday morning, November 19, 2009, a Toyota Camry drove onto the railroad track crossing at Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, just west of Interstate 95 and was struck by a commuter train travelling at 60 mph.
The northbound Tri-Rail train with 250 passengers aboard barrelled into the Toyota on Commercial Boulevard, just west of Interstate 95. The car was propelled about 60 feet. The driver and passenger were both ejected from the sedan and pronounced dead at the scene. One of the passengers was taken to North Broward Medical Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
A witness who was a few cars behind the Camry when the crash occurred said that the Toyota stopped on the tracks as the crossing arms lowered and lights flashed. The driver of the Toyota backed up and hit the crossing arm behind her, the witness said. The Toyota then attempted to move forward just before the northbound train struck the car.
Interestingly, this same railroad crossing was involved in a prior train/car wreck in 1993 in which six people died. In the state of Florida alone, there were over 1,000 highway-rail incidents for the past 10 years.
When trains collide with cars the end results are often tragic. You can bet your rent money that the safety warnings and devices at this intersection will be examined from every angle to determine if there is any fault on the part of the Tri-Rail or its driver. All the victims in this accident appear to be from the same family and it is doubtful that the driver or owner of the Toyota will have sufficient liability coverage to cover the damages, assuming they or their estate, can even make a claim against the driver.
With over 50 years of collective service to the South Florida community, the law partners at The Ben Law Firm have helped thousands of clients to obtain money compensation for their personal injury and wrongful death claims.
All of the firm's partners have received the prestigious "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is a recognition by their peers in the legal community that their practice meets the highest professional and ethical standards.
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