News: Victims of Aventura Brightline crash identified as brother and sister
AVENTURA, FL – Authorities have identified the victims of a crash involving a Brightline train on East Dixie Highway in Aventura last week, reports the Miami Herald.
This is an update to a previous story.
Police said the two people killed were 68-year-old Marc Charleus and his sister, 58-year-old Veronique Charleus.
According to investigators, Marc Charleus was driving a Toyota Thursday morning when he approached the railroad crossing and attempted to drive across the tracks while the safety gates were in the down position. The car was hit by a high-speed Brightline train and both people were killed. No one on the train was injured. Marc Charleus was driving Veronique to her job in Hallandale Beach at the time of the crash, police said.
A Brightline spokesman released a statement that said, ““This was a tragic event and the direct result of an individual driving around the gates which were down, flashing and bells ringing, signaling an approaching train.”
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports there have now been five fatal Brightline train accidents in the past month. The service from West Palm Beach to Miami resumed in November for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, grade crossing railroad accidents are the greatest cause of fatalities and injuries in the railroad industry. If you or a loved one have been the victim of a railroad accident, contact the Miami train accident lawyers at the Hickey Law Firm. Our attorney, John H. (Jack) Hickey can provide you with sound legal counsel and diligent representation as he represented railroad companies for the first five years of his legal career. Call us at 888-913-4296, text 844-984-1937, or contact us online to arrange a free consultation.
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