77-Year-Old Driver Killed in Passenger Train Crash

OAKLAND PARK, FL — A passenger train from Miami to New York struck a Lexus that had stopped on the tracks along Oakland Park Boulevard on Friday afternoon, killing the 77-year-old driver and forcing a temporary suspension of service.

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Joy Ogelsby, a spokeswoman for the Broward County Sheriff's Office told Patch that Charles D. Stringfield of the 3500 block of Galt Ocean Drive was pronounced dead at the scene by Oakland Park Fire Rescue after his car was struck on the passenger-side rear fender by the Amtrak train at 1:11 p.m.

She said that the force of the train sent the Lexus into a metal railroad stanchion.

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"As the train neared the railroad crossing, the crossing gates were in the down position," according to Ogelsby. "However, Stringfield’s vehicle had already come to a stop between the crossing gates and the stop bar."

She said that Amtrak engineer Walter Rozynski of Miami brought the train to a controlled stop just north of the railroad crossing.

Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods in Washington, D.C. said that service was temporarily suspended as local authorities investigated the accident. "At the time of the incident, 126 passengers were on the train," she said on Friday afternoon. "There are no reported injuries to passengers or crew members."

Ogelsby said that the accident forced the closure of the heavily traveled West Oakland Park Boulevard in both directions, including the ramps to I-95. The road closure affected an area between Powerline Road and 21st Avenue.

The train left Miami at 11:58 a.m., according to Amtrak.

"Amtrak is cooperating in the incident," Woods added. "Train 92 is the Silver Star, which travels daily between Miami and New York City."