Passenger says Green Line train crash in Somerville was "horrifying"
SOMERVILLE - Max Desmond, 31, was one of the passengers on the Green Line train that collided with another parked train at the MBTA East Somerville Station just early Sunday morning.
"Sudden crash like a car crash. A huge bang, and suddenly I was horizontal," Demond said. Desmond says he and his wife were on their way home from a birthday party.
Rider describes Green Line crash
"There was a bang. Next thing I know, I was sideways. So I hit the pole with my leg, it stopped me. My wife was to my right, kinda fell on me, so I kind of cushioned her," he said.
A total of five passengers and four Green Line operators were onboard the train. One of the passengers was transported to MGH with a neck injury. Desmond says he checked himself in.
"It was horrifying. I just wanted to make sure my wife was okay. Next thing I wanted to make sure I was okay and I could walk. My knee was pretty banged up, my left leg, my arm, and my neck," he said.
The collision caused one car on each train to derail. This is the second time the NTSB has had to investigate a Green Line incident. Seven people were hurt when two trains derailed on the Green Line near Lechmere Station in October.
Desmond is now concerned for his safety the next time he rides the T. "Thankfully, we were sitting; I think if I was standing, I would've gotten thrown," he said.
New system would've prevented crash
Carl Berkowitz is a transportation expert and says the proposed Green Line train protection system would've prevented this crash.
"In phase one, it would warn the operator of impending collisions or speed violations. And the second phase they had automatic functions that would prevent collisions, overruns, speeding, rear-end collisions. So when I heard about the East Somerville station, I was shocked," Berkowitz said.
"It is not just the riders that we are concerned about but also the operators," said Reggie Ramos, who works with Transportation for Mass. An organization that advocates for just and equitable transportation systems across Massachusetts.
No official word on the cause of the collision. The NTSB is investigating the crash.
