On the early morning of October 22, 2025, a tragic accident claimed the life of a 63-year-old man, Brian Baker, who was struck and killed by a Brightline train at the intersection of Northeast 48th Street and North Dixie Highway in Pompano Beach. The incident occurred around 2 a.m., outside of Brightline’s regular service hours. The train, traveling at high speed and without passengers, was preparing for its morning schedule.
A Worrying Trend
According to an investigation by the Miami Herald and WLRN, Brightline is currently the deadliest passenger railroad in the United States. Since 2017, at least 180 people have been killed by Brightline trains, 160 of them in South Florida, including Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Pompano Beach alone has seen 16 fatalities, most involving pedestrians.
Are These Intersections Truly Safe?
Despite the implementation of various safety measures — including crossing arms, warning lights, and public awareness campaigns — the high-speed nature of Brightline trains (up to 79 mph through neighborhoods) and the location of crossings in densely populated areas create a lethal combination.
The reality is clear: these intersections remain dangerous, especially for pedestrians. Many fatalities, like the one involving Mr. Baker, occur in the early morning or late at night, when visibility is low and those in the area do not suspect that a train may approach.
A Legal Perspective: When Safety Systems Fail
As a serious personal injury law firm based in South Florida, we’ve worked with families who have faced the aftermath of tragedies like this. When a pedestrian is killed or injured by a train, it raises important questions:
- Were safety protocols at the crossing adequate?
- Were proper signage and lighting in place?
- Could the accident have been prevented through better infrastructure, earlier warnings, or slower train speed?
In many cases, victims and their families are left to deal with overwhelming grief, unexpected medical or funeral expenses, and the long-term emotional and financial fallout — often without knowing their legal rights.
How We Help
At Mase Seitz Briggs, we are trial lawyers who specialize in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, including those involving pedestrian-train collisions. These are not simple cases. They require a firm with the resources, experience, and commitment to thoroughly investigate the facts, identify liable parties (including train operators, municipalities, or contractors), and build a case to present at trial.
If you or someone you love has been impacted by a Brightline or other train-related incident, you don’t have to face it alone. Our legal team is here to offer guidance, answer your questions, and fight for justice.
Why Choose Mase Seitz Briggs?
We’ve handled complex personal injury and wrongful death cases across South Florida, including incidents involving trains and pedestrian fatalities. Our firm knows how to investigate these cases, uncover safety failures, and hold operators, municipalities, and other responsible parties accountable.
Contact Us Today
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a train-related accident in Florida, don’t wait to seek legal help. Contact the personal injury trial attorneys at Mase Seitz Briggs for a free consultation. We’ll help you understand your rights and options, and we will fight to hold the parties responsible. Call us today at 305-377-3770.
