MEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - A scary situation recently played out for a mother and son in Medford as the mother said her leg got caught in an MBTA train door.
Rebecca Mason said the incident happened at the Medford/Tufts station on the Green Line on New Year’s Day.
Mason later spoke to 7NEWS, describing her experience.
“I put one foot on the platform and had my hand and leg to help him down and the door suddenly closed on my leg,” she said.
Mason, 36, was holding her son’s hand when her leg got caught in the door, leaving her on one side of the door and her son on the other.
She said she let go of her son so he wouldn’t get hurt and desperately looked around for help.
“The people who were on the train behind us were trying to pull the doors open, but they couldn’t do it,” Mason said.
Eventually, Mason said an MBTA employee ran over and began pulling on the train doors while telling train passengers to hit an emergency release button near the door.
Finally, the doors sprung open and Rebecca’s leg was free. She said she never heard an announcement to stand clear.
In a subsequent statement sent to 7NEWS, the MBTA said an investigation is underway, adding the incident appears to be the result of operator error.
“Preliminary findings suggest standard procedures were not correctly followed by the operator, which led to the doors shutting prematurely,” the T said, in part.
The T additionally said this experience was “unacceptable” and said a swift but exhaustive review is now being conducted.
Reflecting on the incident, Mason said the experience won’t stop her from taking the T in the future.
She said she hopes safety changes are implemented, though, so something like this does not happen again.
“They need to have the resources in order to operate the trains safely,” Mason said. “Whether that’s staffing or operator training or more safety equipment, they have to have those resources available so that people can ride the train safely.”
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