MBTA Employees Help Owl After It Collides With Green Line Train
BROOKLINE (CBS) -- MBTA employees helped a feathered friend get medical attention after it flew into a Green Line trolley late Wednesday night.
According to the MBTA, an owl hit trolley operator Hoa Tran's Green Line train at the Brookline Village stop around 11:25 p.m.
Tran was able to move the bird from the track area to a nearby bench, and MBTA investigator Christopher McLaughlin and supervisor Fred Difederico put the bird, which appeared dazed, into a cardboard box.
The T's Control Center reached out to several agencies and organizations to try to get help for the bird, but none had enough overnight staffing to assist.
The MBTA said Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton responded that they were open overnight, but couldn't send anyone to pick it up.
That's when McLaughlin volunteered to drive the owl to Grafton when his shift was over.
Acting MBTA General Manager Brian Shortsleeve said Tran, McLaughlin, and Difederico made a "terrific team effort," and called them dedicated employees.
"It's always great to see our employees go over and above their regular duties," Shortsleeve said in a statement.
The Cummings School said Thursday afternoon that the owl, an Eastern Screech owl, has "serious" injuries, including a broken wing.
They said the owl's prognosis for recovery is "guarded."