Florida man driving tractor-trailer causes train derailment in Monroe County
A Florida man was arrested by Monroe County deputies for drug possession and other charges after reportedly crashing a semi-truck into a train Wednesday morning, according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Kheino Bennett, 44, of Riviera Beach, Fla., was driving northbound on Highway 83 near Berner Loop between Forsyth and Juliette around 3 a.m. Wednesday before noticing an incoming train, according to the news release from the sheriff’s office.
Bennett told law enforcement that he noticed the railroad crossing arm was down with the lights flashing, but he couldn’t stop his truck. Bennett “applied his brakes abruptly and steered in an attempt to avoid a collision,” the news release said.
“This maneuver caused the truck to overturn and strike one of the train’s cargo cars,” according to the news release. “Preliminary investigation indicates that the impact caused a train car to derail, bringing the train to a stop in the area of Juliette Road and McCrackin Street.”
Highway 83 near Berner Loop was reopened as of Wednesday morning. Juliette Road and McCrackin Street, however, were closed. Deputies advise drivers to “choose an alternate route, as this road will remain closed for a lengthy period of time,” the news release said.
Bennett was arrested and charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, possession of drug-related objects and operating a commercial motor vehicle without a valid license or driving privileges, the news release said.
The investigation is pending.
