BOSTON (WHDH) - A Green Line trolley operator will be charged in connection with a crash that left more than two dozen people injured earlier this summer.
The operator is due to face a judge early next month on multiple criminal charges, according to officials.
On Tuesday, the MBTA said that it’s working to “end the employment” of the operator.
The striking train accelerated to a speed of 31 mph before crashing with the train ahead of it that was moving about 10 mph on the B Line near the Agganis Arena on the evening of July 30, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a new investigative report.
Twenty-four passengers and three crew members were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
“A preliminary review of striking train’s event recorder data revealed that the operator of the striking train placed the master controller in a full-power position prior to the accident,” the NTSB said.
The operator, who has worked for the MBTA for seven years, was initially placed on administrative leave after the crash. He was placed on unpaid leave on Monday and MBTA officials say they are now “taking the steps necessary to end the employment of the individual involved in the collision.”
The sky was clear with no precipitation at the time of the accident, investigators noted.
In a statement, the union for the carmen said: “The union has been able to provide input into the MBTA and NTSB reporting processes on this incident and will continue to help ensure rider safety, operator safety, and due process are prioritized in all next steps.”
Dr. Carl Berkowitz, a transportation safety expert, told 7NEWS that accelerating in a manner in which the train in question did is “usually the result of lack of attention” or “fatigue.”
A safety system to help prevent train collisions has been installed on the MBTA’s Blue, Orange, and Red lines, along with the Commuter Rail, but not the Green Line.
That system will start being installed next year and is expected to be online in 2024.
An investigation remains ongoing with a focus on internal and external oversight, operational testing, crashworthiness of the equipment involved, and employee fitness for duty.
Gov. Charlie Baker confirmed that his administration will refer to the NTSB’s latest report and “make adjustments accordingly.”
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