Trolley Accidents Are Usually Human Error Says MBTA Expert

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - Twenty-five people are recuperating from accident-related injuries following Friday night's trolley crash.*  One rider stated that she was on the phone one moment, and then the next moment, she was flying across the trolley train.  The rider hit a pole and sustained a concussion and a broken nose.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) reported that one of its Green Line trolley drivers was involved in the accident was placed on administrative leave.  The MBTA reported that the employee was driving the trolley car that hit another train from the rear at the B Branch station off of Commonwealth Avenue.

Carl Berkowitz, a transportation expert, stated that even though the cause of the collision is under police investigation, trolley collisions are very rare and are usually caused by the trolley's driver.  He also stated that 99.9999 percent of the time, these accidents are caused by human error and involve the driver not paying attention or using a cell phone.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey stated that Boston officials are in close communication with the National Transportation Safety Board, and they plan on using information from their investigation to prevent other accidents in the future. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes. To learn more about our injury prevention programs, please visit iridesafe.com. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Source:

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/07/31/mbta-green-line-service-b-branch-friday-crash/