BOSTON (WHDH) - A former MBTA operator on trial for a Green Line crash that injured dozens of people has been found not guilty.
The verdict for Owen Turner, 50, came down hours into the second day of the trial, after a jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes.
Turner had pleaded not guilty to a charge of gross negligence, stemming from a July 2021 crash that sent 27 people to the hospital after his train crashed into another on Commonwealth Avenue by Boston University.
Prosecutors said Turner was speeding that day, going three times the legal limit when he plowed into the back of a trolley, not applying any brakes. Surveillance video capturing the moment of the crash itself was revealed in court on Tuesday.
In a new report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), federal investigators determined that the operator’s “loss of situational awareness” was the likely cause of the collision.
Prosecutors told the court Turner gave conflicting statements about what happened during the crash, first saying he did not fall asleep, then saying the next day that he either fell asleep or blacked out. Turner’s attorney argued the crash was simply an accident.
“The justice court gave me a chance, gave me my shot – I always said I was innocent and I’m glad they found me innocent,” Turner told reporters outside the courthouse after the verdict was reached.
When asked if he could describe the events of the crash, Turner said he did not remember and that he would “like to know” himself.
“I worked there (for) eight years, never late on the job, I’m friendly with everybody – it’s just an accident,” he added.
Turner said he is looking to move on with his life now that the trial over the misdemeanor charge has ended.
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