Community Corner

MBTA Driver Fired, Called 'Solely Responsible' for Crash

The operator had been working an overnight shift at a second job before the morning crash.

 

MBTA Acting General Manager Jonathan Davis said Wednesday that the operator of the Green Line trolley that crashed at Boylston Station last Thursday was "solely responsible" for the crash and has been fired.

The operator, who Davis declined to identify, showed up after working an overnight shift at a second job and was therefore unfit for duty, he said. He was fired for "alarming disregard for customer safety," Davis said. 

Find out what's happening in Fenwaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The man had been working from midnight to 8 a.m. at a second job, then reported to his MBTA job at 11 a.m. The crash happened at 11:48 a.m. Davis said it's unclear whether the man fell asleep at the wheel. 

The crash caused passenger injury, throwing at least one man from a stopped train at Boylston, and half a million dollars in damages, Davis said. 

Find out what's happening in Fenwaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Davis did not comment on the type of second job the operator had, but said that it was part-time and that he was a full-time MBTA employee. The day before the crash, the man had worked the same midnight to 8 a.m. shift at the second job and an 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. shift at the MBTA. The operator had been through fatigue-awareness training twice in the past year, according to Davis. 

There are no policies against MBTA drivers having second jobs but each assumes a personal responsibility to make sure they are fit for duty, Davis said. 

Asked what the employee made, Davis did not provide a figure but said, "The MBTA does provide a good salary. It provides good benefits to all our employees."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Fenway