Firefighters extinguished the vehicle fire as crews checked train passengers and others at the scene for possible injuries.
OAKLAND PARK, FL — A car caught fire after colliding with an Amtrak train Saturday evening near Prospect Road, drawing fire rescue crews from Oakland Park and Fort Lauderdale as emergency workers checked people aboard the train and at the crash scene.
The collision was reported at about 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 near Northwest Ninth Avenue and West Prospect Road, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. Officials said emergency dispatchers received multiple 911 calls reporting that a vehicle had been involved in a collision with a train and was on fire.
Firefighters arrived to find the vehicle burning beside the stopped Amtrak train. Crews extinguished the flames and then boarded the train to assess passengers and crew members, according to fire rescue officials. The response involved personnel from both Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and Oakland Park Fire Rescue.
Authorities initially reported no confirmed injuries from the collision. Officials said no one inside the vehicle was injured, while two people at the scene were being assessed. No one had been taken to a hospital as of the initial reports released Saturday night.
The condition of the car after the fire was not immediately detailed beyond officials’ confirmation that it had burned following the collision. Authorities also had not released information identifying the people who were inside the vehicle.
Officials did not immediately provide the Amtrak train number, its route, the number of passengers aboard or information about possible delays caused by the collision. Amtrak had not released additional details about the circumstances of the crash in the initial reports reviewed Sunday.
The cause of the collision also remained unknown. Authorities had not publicly said whether the car was stopped or moving on the tracks before impact, whether railroad crossing equipment was operating normally or what events led the vehicle and train to collide.
The crash occurred in an area served by multiple railroad lines and required a coordinated response from neighboring fire rescue agencies. Emergency crews focused first on extinguishing the vehicle fire and checking the people involved before assessing those aboard the stopped train.
Investigators had not announced a determination on the cause as of Sunday. Officials had also not reported any hospital transports or confirmed serious injuries, and additional information about the train and the circumstances surrounding the collision had not been released.
Author note: Last updated August 23, 2026.