Shira Moolten – South Florida Sun-Sentinel
(TNS)
A Delray Beach Fire Rescue division chief says he has been cleared following an investigation into a fire truck driver’s driving record spurred by the Brightline crash in December.
Division Chief Todd Lynch wrote in a Facebook post Monday evening that he was humiliated by the experience, blaming a public statement from Fire Rescue Chief Ronald Martin releasing his name and the names of three other employees who were suspended and tying them all to the Brightline crash, even though he said the investigation had nothing to do with the accident.
“Not only was (the public statement) before an investigation had taken place, but before I was even asked a single question,” Lynch wrote. “This impugned my character and compounded confusion and embarrassment I was already feeling.”
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The conclusion of his investigation comes after the completion of a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report about the Brightline crash and a traffic citation for the driver. The status of the three other suspended employees was not immediately available Tuesday afternoon. A city spokesperson did not respond to calls or emails about the other investigations, Lynch’s reinstatement, or his comments.
On Jan. 3, Lynch said in his social media post, he was escorted off of city property after being notified of his suspension.
“While this was humiliating and embarrassing enough, it got even worse when there was an intentional posting on facebook releasing my name and the fact I was suspended,” he wrote.
Within two hours of Lynch finding out about his suspension, he said, the city shared a release attributed to Martin titled “Fire Truck/Brightline Train Collision Update.” The statement announced the suspension of Lynch, as well as three other firefighters: Driver Engineer David Michael Wyatt, who had been driving the truck that day, Assistant Chief Kevin Green, and Captain Brian Fiorey.
It said their suspensions were “pending the results of an internal administrative investigation to determine if City and Fire Rescue policies and procedures were followed.”
Martin wrote letters, obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, that said the investigation would focus on “the review of the driving record of City employee, David Wyatt, received on May 10, 2024” following “information that was recently brought to (his) attention.”
Wyatt had been working for Fire Rescue with a suspended license, though not at the time of the Dec. 28, 2024, Brightline crash. The crash that resulted in Wyatt’s suspended license is now also the subject of a separate internal affairs investigation by Delray Police.
Lynch said Martin’s statement about his suspension was “extremely misleading as the ‘issue’ I was being suspended for occurred 7 months prior to the train incident and had zero contribution to that tragic event.”
After news stories about his suspension spread, Lynch said he had to explain to friends, family members and neighbors what he had done “wrong,” despite the fact that he didn’t “and still don’t” know what he was accused of. He was also “ordered not to discuss the circumstances or acts related to this assignment with employees of the City of Delray Beach,” according to the notice of suspension, which he said made him “unable to publicly defend myself.”
“I honorably served my Country for 6 years in the US Army followed by selflessly serving my City for over 25 years,” Lynch wrote. “I served both with character, honor, and integrity. To say I am disappointed in the way this situation was handled is quite the understatement.”
At the time of Martin’s statement, firefighters and members of the firefighters’ union, IAFF Local 1842, also condemned the release of the names.
“Accountability and transparency are essential to public trust, but Chief Martin’s actions show a clear prioritization of optics and appearances over the rights and protections of his own personnel,” a Jan. 3 statement from the union read.
“We stand with our brother Todd Lynch after an unfair and misleading public disclosure of his suspension,” the union said in a post sharing his comments Monday evening. “Linking him to an unrelated tragedy was irresponsible and damaging. Every firefighter deserves due process and respect. We remain committed to protecting our members from unfair treatment.”
The status of the other three employees was not immediately available Tuesday afternoon. The union president did not return an email or voicemail. Lynch did not return a phone call Tuesday morning.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
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