The first crash happened around 12:18 p.m. when a southbound SunRail train struck the back of a vehicle that had not quite cleared the tracks on the Colonial Drive crossing near Orange Avenue. Neither the driver nor the 47 passengers and two crew members on the train were hurt in the incident, says Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson Steve Olson.
The second crash occurred a little more than an hour later, around 1:30 p.m. at the same intersection. An Amtrak train slammed into a truck that had its back end over the tracks, according to Fox 35. No one was reportedly injured in the crash. Both trains were up and running shortly after the incidents.
Olson says crews were sent out to check the gates and crossings to make sure they are functioning properly. FDOT is also sending out consulting engineers to observe how traffic is queuing up in that area with the nearby I-4 Ultimate project and pedestrian bridge construction.
Train tracks are to be taken seriously. Never cross train tracks unless you are CERTAIN that you are able to safely and entirely cross the tracks without stopping. It might just save your life. #SunRailSafety pic.twitter.com/7Ti2b5eF1J
— SunRail (@RideSunRail) December 14, 2018
Drivers need to remember to stop behind the painted white line if there's not enough room to get over the railroad tracks, Olson says.
"People will think there’s enough room to get over those railroad tracks and get on the other side, but they just don't make it," he says. "Then the back end of car or truck is hanging over the tracks and you end up with a collision. Stay behind that line."
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