Driver dies after SUV gets crushed by Tri-Rail train in Broward County

A mangled SUV is all that is left after it was crushed by a Tri-Rail train, killing the driver inside. The crash happened just after 10 a.m. Tuesday morning on the tracks west of Interstate 95 on Oakland Park Boulevard.

Dimitris Bradford, who is staying at a hotel right next to the tracks, described the crash as violent. "Just a loud boom when it hit it, initially hit the car of a truck, whatever it is, and took it down the tracks," Bradford said. "I could see the engine on the other side of the tracks. It hit the car so hard it knocked the engine out," he added.

The train was empty when it slammed into the SUV. It was heading to the rail yard in Hialeah. 

We are told an older man was behind the wheel, and he did not survive. It took several hours before crews were able to free his body from the wreckage.

To give an idea of how common rail crossing deaths are, Operation Lifesaver reports 58 people have died so far this year. That figure was 288 last year.

There are some hard, fast safety rules at crossings: do not stop on the tracks, cross only if you are sure you can fully clear the tracks, never go around the gates, and stay at least 15 feet from the nearest rail when you are stopped at a crossing.