The investigation into the April Boston car accident involving an MBTA trolley and members of the Boston College championship hockey team has largely cleared the students of wrongdoing. New information has left the transportation authority answering some tough questions. This case perfectly illustrates why an attorney should always be called to handle an injury case, regardless of what investigators determine at the scene or what parties claim in the immediate aftermath of an accident.
It now appears that these kids did very little wrong in an incident that colored the school’s championship performance and led to national media scrutiny.
As we reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, the SUV full of Boston College students collided with the Green Line trolley on a Saturday night in April in an accident that Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials were quick to blame on the students.
Three of the passengers were members of the Boston College hockey team, which had just won the National Championship. Police reported finding Vodka in the Jeep and an MBTA official said three passengers took themselves to the hospital after fleeing the scene. The circumstances turned a relatively minor incident into national news covered by the USA Today, the New York Times and ESPN.
However, the Boston Globe now reports that the MBTA suspended the trolley driver for two weeks in May after the agency’s investigation determined he was driving 35 mph at the time of the crash — well over the 10 mph speed limit in that area. Then, in a closed hearing last week, the most serious charges against the Jeep’s driver were dismissed after toxicology results showed she had not been drinking.
On the heals of that news, the MBTA suspended the driver indefinitely this week and are pursuing perjury charges against him for testimony he gave in a hearing about the crash. The 34-year-old driver testified he had a clean driving record, despite having recorded multiple moving violations in both Massachusetts and Florida.
If you have been injured in a Boston car accident or an accident elsewhere in Massachusetts, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.