Boston bus crashes into film truck, several injuries reported
An MBTA spokesperson stated that “With a strong focus on training in defensive driving, the MBTA is committed to providing safe and reliable service on a daily basis. Hundreds of MBTA buses make thousands of trips each day without incident.” And yet, an incident happened recently in Boston and several people were injured.
According to news reports, an MBTA bus was making a turn when it ran into a film truck that was there for the shooting of a Sandra Bullock movie. Many personal injuries were reported due to the bus accident, and there were no injuries to anyone on the film truck. The bus driver has been suspended pending the results of an investigation.
The accident took place as the T bus was on its route from Ruggles and Dudley stations toward Mattapan. The bus was making a turn from Dudley Street onto Warren Street. The windshield of the bus was shattered when it hit the truck and the front of the bus had enough damage that it had to be towed away rather than driven away.
It is standard procedure in many jurisdictions to perform a drug and alcohol test after a public transportation accident, so we can probably assume that the driver had tests performed.
The driver is a 33-year-old woman who has worked for the MBTA for about five years and has driven the route for about two years. She has never been involved in a bus accident that was her fault, although this accident is being investigated.
The injuries suffered by approximately 15 people on the bus are back, neck and so-called soft-tissue injuries. Many were placed in protective neck gear or taken away on stretchers. None of the injuries were reported to be life-threatening.
When a public transportation accident occurs, it is not unusual for personal injury victims to seek compensation for damages including pain and suffering. It is too early to know if that will happen in this case but it is certainly a possibility.
Source: Boston Herald, “T suspends driver in crash at film site,” O’Ryan Johnson and Colneth Smiley Jr., July 10, 2012
