A 20-year-old driver has died after his vehicle was hit by a TEXRail train in Fort Worth, following a midweek collision that shut down service between two key North Side stations and left crews scrambling to repair damaged tracks.
Death confirmed by medical examiner
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 20-year-old Harrison William Bradford and said he died just after midnight Friday at Fort Worth’s John Peter Smith Hospital, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The update came days after the Wednesday crash that first drew emergency crews to the area.
Service impact and repairs
The collision happened about 11 a.m. last Wednesday in the 3800 block of North Sylvania Avenue near East Long Avenue, between North Side Station and Mercantile Center Station. The impact damaged a section of track, and Trinity Metro shut down rail service along that stretch while crews moved in heavy equipment and repair gear.
Trinity Metro ran a bus bridge between the two stations while workers focused on track repairs and inspections. Riders were urged to check RideTrinityMetro.org and the GoPass app for real-time alerts as several trains were delayed, some trips were cut short, and normal operations did not resume for several hours.
Investigation under way
Fort Worth police said officers first responded around 11 a.m. last Wednesday to the 3800 block of North Sylvania Avenue near East Long Avenue and were investigating the crash at the time, according to earlier reporting by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Authorities have not said whether any charges are expected. As is typical with vehicle-train collisions, the case involves coordination with the medical examiner and transit officials while investigators piece together what happened on the approach to the crossing.
Why grade crossings still matter
National safety data show that the bulk of rail-related deaths involve either vehicle-train collisions at highway-rail grade crossings or people trespassing on the tracks. Federal and safety groups have spent years pushing public-awareness campaigns and targeted infrastructure fixes in an effort to reduce crossing crashes and trespasser fatalities.
For national statistics and background on rail crossing incidents and trespassing deaths, see resources from Operation Lifesaver and the Federal Railroad Administration…