Delray Beach officials demand answers weeks after Brightline train collision with fire rescue truck
Jan 08, 2025
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — Residents and city officials in Delray Beach are searching for answers, weeks after a fire rescue truck crashed with a Brightline train.
City of Delray Beach officials held a commission meeting on Tuesday night following the violent Dec. 28 crash that left 15 people injured, including four Delray Beach firefighters.
Officials said they are going to get to the bottom of how the crash occurred.
“We are going to get all of the answers,” said Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney.
“I’m not happy at all. When? I would like to know when are we getting the answers? When are the residents getting the answer?” said Delray Beach Vice Mayor Juli Casale.
There’s an investigation going on,” said Carney.
During the meeting, Casale made it clear that they were going to get the public what it wanted: answers.
“Residents want to know: Were these gentlemen on their way to a call?” said Casale.
“Residents certainly deserve a complete story,” said Carney.
The vice mayor brought up a recent preliminary report that revealed that, over the years, nearly a dozen firefighters have had issues with their licenses either being suspended, invalid or expired.
“If you have firefighters in your department that are driving our fire apparatuses without a valid driver’s license, residents deserve to know, and we certainly deserve to know. How many? Five, seven, 10?” she said.
During an exchange with the city’s attorney, Casale continued to press for an answer on how many firefighters are working without a valid driver’s license.
“Would you please provide me the number if you have it?” said Casale.
“I’m privy to the number. It’s – I believe it was 10, I, I don’t know,” said Delray Beach City Attorney Lynn Gelin.
“Ten individuals working for our fire department without a valid driver’s license,” said Casale.
“It’s within the department, but I don’t know if they are all firefighters,” said Gelin.
That number, 10, includes all fire department personnel, but not all firefighters.
Officials said the four men on the truck at the time of the accident did have valid driver’s licenses.
“I was under the impression that none of the officers on the vehicle that was in the accident, they all had active licenses, none of them had suspended licenses,” said Delray Beach Deputy Vice Mayor Rob Long.
“At the time of the accident,” said Casale.
The fire truck driver, David Wyatt, was sent a letter informing him his driving record would be part of the investigation.
Alongside Wyatt, two senior staffers, including assistant chief Kevin Green and division chief Todd Lynch and 20-year veteran Capt. Brian Fiery, were also inside the truck.
All four of them have been placed on paid leave until the investigation is complete.
“As you say, we don’t want unlicensed drivers. I don’t want unlicensed drivers driving to the fire station, let alone driving a fire truck,” said Carney.
“It’s unimaginable, mayor, and I’m sorry if, you know, at the end of the day hundreds of people were on that train, including children that could’ve died,” said Casale.
She also tried to get commissioners to answer whether the injured firefighters were responding to a call, but no one could answer that question.
Following the crash, passenger Zach Thrasher described what he felt when the train, which was headed to Orlando, collided with the fire truck that was attempting to cross, despite the crossing guard hands being down.
“I think the fire truck believed the cargo train was the only train. They tried to cross, didn’t see us, and we collided, basically,” said Thrasher. “We felt a hard brake and then an immediate violent impact.”
Three different agencies are investigating the crash.