Motionless Car Struck by SunRail Train in Orlando

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on September 23, 2019

Officials within the Florida Department of Transportation are currently investigating a train accident that took place within Orlando on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 18th. Reports that have currently been issued on the subject state that the incident took place just after noon and involved a single vehicle and a SunRail train.

A specific reconstruction of the events has yet to emerge from any of the groups investigating the crash, but from what has so far been made public it seems apparent that the incident happened after a vehicle stopped on the tracks designated for use by SunRail trains. A picture taken from the scene shows a dark-colored van or SUV sitting close to a pair of SunRail tracks. Beside the van or SUV is a fire truck as well as a grey pickup truck. The camera’s distance from the scene makes it somewhat difficult to discern what exactly is the level of damage to the vehicle in question.

Current reports stated that at the time when the accident took place, there were 79 passengers and two crew members aboard the train. The force of the collision between the train and the vehicle was not enough to cause any of these individuals to suffer injuries. What we do not know is whether or not the driver of the van/SUV suffered from any injuries as a result of the crash. Most importantly, it is not at all clear just what happened to cause the car to become motionless while straddling the rails. It is possible that something happened within the vehicle to cause it to stall; it is also possible that the driver was attempting to sneak across the track before the train reached the area and that the train was simply moving far faster than the driver expected.

The third option is that the driver intended to stop their vehicle on the track in order to be struck by the moving train, but it is far too early in the investigation to make this claim.

Any notable updates to this story will be posted on this blog as well as within more traditional news sources.

Sources:

• FDOT: SunRail hits vehicle stopped on tracks on Colonial Drive

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.