Video shows cars caught driving around railroad crossing arms downtown

More than 10 vehicles breaking law crossing tracks while arms down

ORLANDO, Fla. – A driver for a Salvation Army box truck could lose his job after cellphone video caught him driving around railroad crossing arms that were stuck near downtown.

[RAW VIDEO: Cars drive around railroad crossing arms]

The video was captured by a Local 6 news producer on her way to work Wednesday morning.

She can be heard counting the number of cars zig-zagging their way across the tracks as the lights flashed, the bell rang and the arms stayed lowered at the crossing on Grant Street, between South Orange Avenue and South Division Avenue.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation says the issue was caused by a technical glitch around 8:30 a.m. and lasted for about 30 minutes.

According to Florida's law, drivers are not allowed to go around the crossing arms and can be ticketed if they're caught.

Local 6's producer counted more than 10 vehicles breaking the law, crossing the tracks while the arms were down.

One of them was a box truck for the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

"I'd have to talk to the driver," explained Capt. Mark Winters, the driver's boss at the Salvation Army. "If he sat there for a long time, and there was no train coming, I would have probably done the same thing."

When he learned that crossing the tracks was illegal, Winters changed his tune.

"It's likely he's going to lose his job, today," he said. "Safety is something we have to adhere to, otherwise, peoples' lives are in danger."

FDOT tells Local 6 drivers must report the issues with crossing arm failure when they see it.

A sign is mounted underneath the flashing lights at each railroad crossing with a toll-free number to report issues.


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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