Teenagers push man into moving Orange Line train at Back Bay Station, witnesses say

MBTA Transit Police said they are investigating an assault after a group of teenagers attacked a man on the platform of Back Bay Station in Boston and pushed him into a moving train.

The incident happened around 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Transit Police. The 27-year-old had a laceration to his head. The group involved ran off in different directions.

Back Bay Station attack

WBZ-TV spoke with a local nurse who was at the top of the stairs in the station as the teens started to run off. She said she saw the man laying on his back on the platform, bleeding from his head and knew she needed to step in.

"My first immediate reaction was to help him because I think he was in shock. He was just laying there," said the nurse, who did not want to give her name due to privacy concerns. "The transit cop was applying pressure to the laceration on his forehead. It was a decent amount of blood, but he was alert, oriented. I was just keeping him verbally engaged."

WBZ spoke with another witness over the phone who said the victim told her the teens threw his cellphone on the tracks. This witness reported seeing nearly a dozen teenagers running in all directions after the attack. Some managed to board the Orange Line train the man had been pushed against as it pulled away.

MBTA Transit Police arrested a 14-year-old boy on Thursday in connection with the incident. He has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. 

Unruly Orange Line passengers

Orange Line riders said seeing groups of unruly teenagers on trains and platforms was nothing new.

"It's always teenagers riding their bikes going really fast into the cabins or something like that," Ana Aviles said.

Other passengers said they try to keep a low profile when riding the train.

"I feel like I need to take precautions and I have to be on the lookout," said one Orange Line rider.

"I do feel safe but sometimes people come in and sit on the train and they are kind of not good vibes. They will sit on the train and do drugs and stuff like that. People bring their kids on the train and they shouldn't be seeing that," rider Naturi Wells added.

WBZ reached out to the MBTA for comment regarding Tuesday night's incident but did not hear back.