Miami Graffiti Artist Dies After Being Struck by Train That's Reportedly Killed Over 200 People

[mahatmakanejeeves]

They ought to put that train in jail.

Miami Graffiti Artist Dies After Being Struck by Train That’s Reportedly Killed Over 200 People

“I don’t understand why there’s not a lot more safety features. How many people have to die?” Eric Hirt's widow, Shawn Hirt, said in response to his death

By Charna Flam Published on May 22, 2026 09:59PM EDT

{snip picture}
Eric Alan Hirt.
Credit : GoFundMe

NEED TO KNOW
* Eric Hirt, a celebrated Miami graffiti artist, was fatally struck by a Brightline train in Biscayne Park, Fla., on May 13
* Hirt's wife criticized what she claimed was a lack of safety measures near the tracks and created a GoFundMe to support their family
* Brightline trains, known for their high speeds, have been linked to over 200 fatalities on or near the railroad tracks since beginning operations in 2017; in a statement, Brightline noted that “none of the incidents along the railroad have been the result of improper train handling by Brightline personnel or failure of our equipment or infrastructure”

A popular graffiti artist was fatally struck by a Brightline train in Florida, local officials say.

On May 13, Eric Alan Hirt, 47, was struck and killed at 12:26 a.m. local time while walking on the tracks in Biscayne Park, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO) Detective Joseph Peguero said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Eric was hit by an oncoming Brightline train, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office confirmed, according to The Miami Herald.

The Brightline train is one of two high-speed trains in the U.S., traveling as fast as 125 miles per hour. The train began test runs in 2017. Since then, there have been over 200 fatalities associated with Brightline trains that took place near or on the tracks, with Hirt's marking the 206th death, according to a joint investigation conducted by WLRN and The Miami Herald. Brightline has not been found responsible or held liable for any of the deaths.

Shawn Hirt, Eric's wife of 26 years, told The Miami Herald that his death was an accident. She noted that authorities watched footage of the incident and saw him carrying something, then, at the last second, looked up with a “deer in the headlights” reaction.

Eric, who was partially deaf, had repeatedly crossed the unfenced tracks behind their house, Shawn told The Miami Herald. Their home is in a “quiet zone” with no train horn, and it was dark at the time of his death. Police told her the train was traveling at 79 miles per hour, Shawn told the outlet.

{snip}

[stopdiggin]

1. it takes aprox. 2 seconds (perhaps 4 if footing is not sound) to 'cross' a set of tracks

If you are idling or walking within the tracks, or have some other agenda ... Different story ...

Bigger picture .... This is NOT the fault of the trains. Whether they are going at speed - or not.

[Squaredeal]

2. The train tracks should be fenced off in populated areas of the line.

[Midnight Writer]

3. Is this a problem in other countries with high speed trains?

Or is this one of those "uniquely American" problems like daily mass shootings?

79 mph is fast, but no faster than traffic on many of our highways.

Walking on a high-speed rail track (where 200 people have already been killed by trains) after midnight seems to be awfully risky behavior. Even more so if you are hearing-impaired.

If you decide to go swimming on a beach where there are riptide warnings and you get carried out to sea, it is a tragedy, but it is not the ocean's fault.

[msongs]

4. trespasser who didn't look steps in front of train. nt