A subway train rear-ended another subway train that was stopped between two underground stations in downtown Boston on Friday night, injuring about 50 people, and one of the conductors told police he was texting at the time of the crash, officials said.
About 100 people were evacuated, and 49 were taken to area hospitals, but officials said their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.
The 24-year-old operator of the moving train, who was the most seriously injured, admitted to police that he was sending text messages from his cell phone when the accident occurred, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority general manager Dan Grabauskas said.
The MBTA has stepped up enforcement of the rule against cell phone use by operators following a subway train crash in Newton last May that killed the driver that collided with another. Although there were reports the driver was using a cell phone just before the crash, an investigation ultimately determined there was no evidence she was using her phone.
Grabauskas said the operator of the train that struck the parked one admitted to investigators who interviewed him in a hospital he saw the red light ahead of him as he was texting, but it was too late to stop.
"I can tell you it's difficult to contain my outrage at hearing this," Grabauskas said..
Driving is a PRIVILEGE - not a right.
When driving your car, your eyes needs to be straight ahead.
Both hands needs be on the steering wheel.
You need to observe speed limits.
You need to yield the right of way to pedestrians/other cars.
You need to STOP for stop signs and red lights.
You need to pull over to the side of the road to allow emergency vehicles to past from both directions.
AND HANG UP THE CELL PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Police didn't have to dust for fingerprints to find this suspect -- they just rifled through the wallet he left behind at the scene.
