Rescue crews took a woman to a hospital after trouble on the tracks in downtown Fort Lauderdale led to an overnight wreck involving a train and three vehicles near a popular bar, police said.
Fort Lauderdale Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the crash along the 200 block of Southwest Second Street, at around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Moments before impact, pedestrians had gathered along the railroad tracks, right next to vehicles which were trapped between the lowered gates.
“You could only hear the train, like, the horn,” said witness Andres Chaparro.
And then it happened.
Cellphone video captured the train hitting a black pickup truck, sending pieces of the vehicle flying. One piece slammed into the back of a woman rushing away.
“We just hear ‘boom,’ and it was super loud,” said witness Tyler Bland.
The chaotic wreck, which took place in the Himmarshee area known for its bars and restaurants, left late-night witnesses stunned.
“We were like, ‘What was that?’ Then we see people panicking,” said Chaparro.
The two other vehicles were barely able to get out of the way, but the force of the impact appeared to push the cars out of control.
The cellphone video captured the pickup truck wedged up against a train, as well as the truck’s driver sat stunned on the curb.
The footage also shows a car pushed up onto a sidewalk near the front of The Den Sports Bar + Lounge. Another car ended up in the middle of the road, surrounded by bystanders.
“We were panicking. Like, I was in shock,” said Chaparro.
One of the cars careened into a pedestrian on the street, striking her, police said.
A video posted to Instagram showed the gates were down when the three cars were stopped in the tracks.
“They came down, the cars, they were so trapped, and so, that’s why you couldn’t go anywhere,” said Chaparro.
“With all the people who walk around and all the people who usually come to The Den, I’m very surprised it wasn’t worse than it was,” said Bland.
A woman who asked not to be identified or show her face on camera told 7News she saw it happen, and she’s still shaken.
“Definitely something I’ve never seen before and I don’t want to see again,” she said. “It was actually – it was traumatizing.”
Paramedics rushed the pedestrian who was struck by the car to an area hospital. As of Saturday night, her condition is unknown.
The Den sustained some damage. Saturday night, a piece of plywood covered part of the bar’s entrance, with the words “We’re open” written in large black letters.
Just after 10 p.m., 7News cameras captured pieces of the vehicles involved in the crash on the ground.
Police continue to investigate the crash.
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Source: wsvn
