Two MBTA Green Line trolleys collide
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
MBTA
The MBTA trolley system suffered a crash last week.
The Boston Globe reported that two MBTA Green Line trolleys ran into each other on Friday, July 30. Twenty-five people were injured, but none were fatal. One of the trolley motormen was placed on administrative leave until the outcome of the investigation.
While the MBTA trolley system has a good safety record, there have been two other trolley collisions – one in 2008 and one in 2009. In the 2008 crash, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators determined that the operator was fatigued and may have fallen asleep. The operator ran a stop signal and crashed into another trolley parked in front of her, and she died in the crash. The 2009 crash occurred because the operator was on his cellphone at the time of the crash.
Four NTSB investigators arrived in Boston on Saturday, and agency spokeswoman Jennifer Gabris said that the specialties of the investigators “include operations, crashworthiness, and human performance.” The Globe also reported that Gabris said “Investigations involving injuries and other major investigations currently take between 12 and 24 months to complete.”
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