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Fire trucks, engines, and other apparatuses aren’t a slick shade of gunmetal gray for a reason. However, even a bright shade of red doesn’t do much to stop a train when a fire engine crosses the railroad tracks just as the train comes through. Now, a Florida firefighter is looking at disciplinary action after driving around the crossing gates and causing a crash. 

A Delray Beach, Florida firefighter received a citation after a Brightline train slammed into a fire truck, injuring 15

Last December, a Brightline commuter train crashed into a fire truck as it crossed a set of railroad tracks in South Florida. The fire ladder truck’s engineer behind the wheel, David Wyatt, was stopped at the crossing while responding to a structure fire, per FireRescue1. Wyatt waited for a train to pass before attempting to drive around the still-deployed crossing gates.

However, Wyatt didn’t see a Brightline commuter train approaching the crossing after the first train passed. And at 79 mph, the commuter train didn’t have much room to stop. As a result, the Brightline train slammed into the Florida firefighter and his crew.

Now, police have issued Wyatt a citation for the event. After conducting an investigation that produced a 70-page report, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office found that Wyatt had not exercised “due care” while responding to the reports of the fire and crossing the tracks.

Every department has some derivation of “due care” concerning code-3 or emergency responses. My department implored us to exercise caution and drive with “due care” for the public and property while responding code-3 to a potentially life-threatening event like a motor vehicle accident (MVA) or fire. After all, a wrecked emergency vehicle and an injured first responder can’t serve the community. 

However, it’s unclear whether Wyatt will see further disciplinary action from the department or the police beyond the citation. Still, the Delray Beach, Florida, fire department placed four firefighters involved in the crash on administrative leave during the investigation. While fortunate that no one perished in the crash, the event injured 15 people, including three firefighters.  

Check out a video of the train crashing into the fire truck below!

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Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman is a MotorBiscuit Staff Writer, an admitted petrolhead, and an avid motorcyclist. Erik covers Tesla daily, including the Model Y and Cybertruck. Erik also covers Toyota, often discussing the Tundra, Tacoma, RAV4, 4Runner, and Camry. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and Humvees. Erik is a United States Marine Corps combat veteran, former water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin.