CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - The MBTA has released footage of an incident involving heavy equipment falling from a column at Harvard station, striking a person in the process on Monday.
The footage showed about two dozen people waiting at a Red Line platform when a person wearing a white coat and backpack approached a column.
Almost immediately after the person leaned against a column in the background, a large piece of equipment dropped from above, appearing to strike the individual, who could be seen immediately grabbing their head and walking out of view.
RELATED: Woman taken to hospital after heavy equipment falls at Harvard MBTA station
Shortly before the footage was released to 7NEWS, an MBTA spokesperson sent out a new update on the incident.
Earlier in the day, MBTA officials announced they had determined that a corroded support strap led to the utility box falling, making contact with a woman below.
The victim, described as a woman in her late 20s, suffered non-life-threatening injuries according to the Cambridge Fire Department, which was called in around 4:30 p.m. on Monday after the 200-pound piece of electrical equipment fell on the platform.
In a second update at 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, an MBTA spokesperson said the box that became dislodged was part of a pilot program from 2011 that was led by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and had been funded by the Department of Homeland Security.
The goal of the program: “to house sensors capable of detecting and identifying biological agents.”
“As part of MIT’s testing and evaluating of the new technology, the boxes were installed at Harvard, Porter and Davis Stations,” the spokesperson stated. “The boxes have served no purpose since the pilot program ended in 2013.”
Since the incident, the spokesperson said MBTA General Manager Phil Eng directed personnel to start removing the remaining thirteen boxes at the three affected stations.
Eng shared a statement later Tuesday afternoon.
“The incident at Harvard Square Station last evening was stark reminder of the challenge at hand, but it is important for the public to know that delivering safe, reliable, and appropriate service is paramount and the MBTA is fully committed to ensuring that we do just that,” Eng said. “Our team took immediate action to inspect every station to ensure there were not additional risks to riders.”
“When I accepted this position, I fully understood the challenges and responsibility, but I remain confident that we will be successful,” Eng continued. “Ensuring safety is vital to restoring public confidence and trust.”
MBTA riders also reacted on Tuesday to new details about this incident.
“It’s actually crazy that they’ve been up there for that long and nobody had done anything about it,” said Nuria Iscayau.
“It’s just crazy how they had to wait for something to happen for them to want to take them down,” said Rashard Mosley.
This incident came a matter of weeks after a ceiling panel fell on a platform at Harvard station on March 1. Officials said the panel served to boost the aesthetics of the station and absorb noise, adding that it weighed between 20 and 25 pounds.
The T later released video of the incident, showing the panel narrowly missing a rider walking on the platform.
Officials announced plans to remove similar panels after the incident in March, eventually removing nearly 200 panels from Harvard station.
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