A pedestrian died Tuesday afternoon after being struck by a SunRail train in downtown Winter Park, with officers arriving on West Morse Boulevard to find the person already dead. The collision happened around 4:10 p.m. near the city's downtown transit hub, and investigators were still working to determine what led up to the strike hours later.
SunRail Delays Continue As Investigators Piece Together Details
The fatal strike delayed both southbound and northbound SunRail trains by about 30 minutes, according to WKMG ClickOrlando, which first reported the death. The outlet reported that no additional details had been released as of publication, including whether the person was near a marked crossing or elsewhere along the tracks.
Winter Park Police investigated the fatal strike, though the department had not detailed how the collision occurred by the time the report was published. The story remained a developing one Tuesday evening, with delays continuing on both lines while investigators worked the scene.
Downtown Transit Hub Sees Second Fatal Strike Since Last Year
The stretch of West Morse Boulevard where the strike occurred sits at Winter Park's transit hub, located at 148 West Morse Boulevard next to Central Park, according to the City of Winter Park. The station serves both SunRail commuter trains and long-distance Amtrak routes, putting rail traffic directly through a corridor lined with retail shops and heavy foot traffic from the adjacent park.
Tuesday's death was not the first pedestrian strike involving a SunRail train in Winter Park. In March 2025, a pedestrian was struck by a SunRail train near the intersection of Minnesota and Barnum avenues, a few blocks from downtown, and was transported to a hospital, according to FOX 35 Orlando. That earlier crash also caused system-wide delays.
Florida Ranks Among Worst States for Rail Trespassing Deaths
The Winter Park death adds to a wider pattern across Florida's passenger rail network. Illegal trespassing along railroad rights-of-way accounted for nearly 70 percent of the state's rail fatalities in 2022, causing 65 deaths and 203 injuries, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. State lawmakers responded with House Bill 1301 in 2024, setting a $500 fine or 25 hours of community service, plus six license points, for pedestrians and drivers who circumvent crossing gates or trespass on tracks, as reported by CBS News.
Nationally, rail trespass incidents caused 792 deaths and 525 injuries in 2025, for a total of 1,317 casualties, per data compiled by Operation Lifesaver. Safety statistics compiled in 2025 placed SunRail and South Florida's Tri-Rail among the top 10 deadliest passenger rail systems in the country by death rate, according to WLRN. A separate study by the Federal Railroad Administration found that roughly 82 percent of rail trespass victims nationwide are male, with a mean age of 38, though it is not known whether that pattern applies to Tuesday's victim.
Safety Upgrades Continue as SunRail's Network Keeps Expanding
To combat the crossing crisis, FDOT rolled out Operation S.T.R.I.D.E. in 2019, painting high-visibility dynamic envelope line markings at crossings statewide to show drivers and pedestrians where the danger zone begins, per the same agency's report. The safety push has continued even as SunRail's physical footprint keeps growing.
SunRail completed its full 61-mile route spanning 17 stations across four counties with the opening of its DeLand station in August 2024, according to Railway-News. In February, the Florida Department of Transportation District 1 launched a study to extend the line further south into Polk County, weighing potential stops in Loughman, Davenport, and Haines City. Hoodline has previously reported on a proposed $61.8 million overhaul to enable weekend SunRail service, even as safety concerns along the existing corridor persist.
