Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
T investigating after Green Line door closes on woman helping child off the train
"This experience for any passenger is unacceptable, and we want to assure the public that a swift yet exhaustive review is being conducted,” the T said.
A woman became trapped in the doors of a Green Line trolley while helping her son disembark Monday, a “terrifying experience” the MBTA chalked up to possible operator error.
In a series of posts on social media, Rebecca Mason said the incident happened at the Medford/Tufts Station on New Year’s Day. She explained she had one foot on the platform and was holding her 4-year-old son’s hand to help him off the train when the doors snapped shut.
“The door suddenly closed on my leg. I let go of my son’s hand and started yelling for help, my son was screaming also,” Mason wrote. “The people behind us grabbed the door but weren’t able to pull it open.”
More on the MBTA:
In a statement, the MBTA said it’s still investigating why the doors were able to close on a passenger, but “preliminary findings suggest standard procedures were not correctly followed by the operator, which led to the doors shutting prematurely.”
Advertisement:
An observant T employee at the station helped free Mason, who confirmed on X that she escaped with no major injuries.
“Thankfully my son was not hurt and I’ll probably have a big bruise at worst,” Mason wrote, adding, “Someone I assume was the train operator was apologizing and saying he didn’t see me.”
The MBTA said the preliminary investigation found that the operator shut the trolley down before ensuring that every passenger had gotten off and cleared the doors. When the train is without power, the doors won’t automatically re-open if there’s an obstruction, according to the T.
Advertisement:
The trolley operator has been removed from service as the investigation continues, and General Manager Phil Eng has reached out to Mason, according to the MBTA.
In its statement, the T said it’s thankful the incident didn’t result in any injuries, noting that rider safety and well-being are a priority.
“This experience for any passenger is unacceptable, and we want to assure the public that a swift yet exhaustive review is being conducted,” the agency said.
While the Green Line train involved in Monday’s incident was stationary and powered off at the time, recent MBTA history has shown that train doors closing on a passenger can lead to disaster. In 2022, Robinson Lalin died after his arm became stuck in the doorway of a Red Line train that proceeded to take off from Broadway Station, dragging him to his death.
As Boston.com previously reported, the National Transportation Safety Board highlighted three contributing factors in its final report on the fatal incident: a malfunctioning train car door, a camera monitor’s blind spot, and an operator’s failure to follow standard procedures.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com