Random Connection

I often wonder how a random story or article I read may stir a nice memory or moment, all the while that the original item was tragic. For example, there was in the local newspaper  recently about two accidents. They happen fairly close to each other in time, and I thought there may be a some other connection. The connection was to me.

The first accident was a pedestrian dying when she was hit by the Brightline train. Brightline is a new high-speed passenger train that now connects south Florida to Orlando International Airport. We spent the last two years in Brevard County having a second set of tracks newly laid along existing tracks, all railroad crossings updated for the new faster train, and a few of the trestles crossing rivers having to be rebuilt. Brightline spent the money but we as residents had to live with the turmoil generated by closed roads and many detours. And to top it off, Brightline did not even put a station in our county.

They put up signs at the crossing warning people that the trains can be in excess of 80 mph. I have friends who just took the train from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, and they said the train hit over 125 mph along State Road 528 aka Beachline. Apparently, the lady who was hit near Aurora Road did not see the signs, or the blinking red lights of the crossing. She was the first fatality in Brevard. Probably not the last.

My connection was that I have been trying to get a photo of the train. It is only like 4 or 5 cars and it does go fast. As I was thinking about writing this post, I finally got a picture (actually three) of the elusive Brightline train. This was near the Daily Bread, and those are homeless people waiting. I can easily see these people trying to sneak across the tracks before the train gets there. Not with this new train.

The second death was a lady who had hit a dump truck. They said it was at the intersection of US 1 and Otter Creek Lane. Wait a second. I grew up on Otter Creek in Vermont. We have one in Brevard? Sure enough, it is located just North of the Pineda Causeway. I have marked it as A in the next shot I grabbed from Google Earth. What is very interesting, and the connection, is that my parents lived at B, where they both also died. Lot #7 at Parkway Mobile Homes. This view is from 1994.

The cool thing about Google Earth is the ability to display historical data. This next picture is from 2004. The trailer park still exist but my Mom Stella was not living there, she passed in 2001. My sister Pat had also got a trailer in the park. My Uncle Ken and Aunt Ellie & Bill too, but all were gone by 2004. I lived there from 1979-1982. 

The C points out that when US 1 was only four lanes, you could cross the median and head North. Then in 2001 when they started construction to go to six lanes from the Pineda Causeway to Melbourne, nine miles In 2004 they still turn North, but at the end they extended the median so turning North was not an option.

The D shows where the Lumber 84 yard was built.

The E shows where the Holy Trinity High School was built.

The F shows the Railroad crossing, yep just one track back then and the Pineda Causeway crossed over the tracks and had a crossing light.

The G shows where they recently changed US 1 to have a traffic light.

The next shot is from 2014. The trailer park is gone and a business has replaced it with a large parking lot. You can see the median in front of the exit. Also, they were building a bridge over the railroad tracks at point F. I tell people I think that Mom & Dad probably haunt that building. It's real close to where their trailer was.

This last shot is the most recent, from 2023.

The bridge over the RR is completed, and they added a traffic light  with more lanes at the Pineda Causeway.  (New black tar) Also, you can see that the RR tracks are wider, two tracks now.

But through all the changes, Otter Creek Lane is still there. And to think I never realized Mom & Dad still had a connection to the Creek they lived on when I was growing up.