Man On Cellphone Walks Into Brightline Train

HOLLYWOOD, FL — A 51-year-old cook was seriously injured when he walked into a moving Brightline train as he talked on his cellphone, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. The incident happened on Friday, July 13 at Sheridan Street and Phippen-Waiters Road. The victim was taken to Hollywood Memorial Regional Hospital where he was described as alert and even able to give hospital staff his name and date of birth.

The victim was identified by the Broward Sheriff's Office as 51-year-old Tuan Huu Nguyen who works as a cook at Oceans 13 in Hollywood. Police said Nguyen suffered severe, but non life-threatening injuries.

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Two witnesses told police they saw Nguyen walking with his head down as he was struck by the higher speed northbound train.

"Neither witness was certain if the pedestrian intentionally walked into the side of the train and/or if it was accidental," according to the Broward Sheriff's Department.

One of the witnesses told police that Nguyen was spun around from the force of the train. His legs were "badly severed," according to police.

Another Brightline train struck and killed a pedestrian in June in nearby Boynton Beach.

That incident occurred between East Gateway Boulevard and Miner Road, according to Boynton Beach police.

There have been at least eight deaths since the service began its testing on Florida East Coast Railway tracks late last year From West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale. At least several of the earlier victims had drugs in their systems, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office.

In May, Brightline expanded its service to include Miami as the third stop of the system along with West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. But while the expansion of the only privately funded inter-city train service in the United States clearly ushers in a new era of transportation for car-dependent South Florida, it also brings with it new challenges from a safety perspective.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano