Time 5:51 pm Type of incident Collision Injuries 14 | Rail line Green Line "D" Branch Date 28 May 2008 Trains 2 | |
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Cause Micro-sleep episode caused by sleep apnea Deaths 1 (operator of the rear train) Location Newton, Massachusetts, United States Operator Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority | ||
The 2008 Massachusetts train collision occurred on May 28, 2008, shortly before 6pm, when two westbound MBTA trains collided on the Green Line "D" Branch between Woodland and Waban stations, behind 56 Dorset Road in Newton, Massachusetts. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) originally found the cause of the accident to be due to the operator texting while driving, but the NTSB later found that the operator of the rear train, Terrese Edmonds, had not been using her cell phone at the time of the crash, but rather went into an episode of micro-sleep, causing her to lose awareness of her surroundings and miss potential hazards up ahead. The collision killed Edmonds, and numerous others were injured. Fourteen passengers were taken to area hospitals; one was airlifted. This crash, along with another similar accident a year later, led the NTSB to set higher standards and regulations regarding the use of cell phones while operating a train.
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Investigation
Initially, error was blamed for the crash. Later, the crash was blamed on Edmonds, who allegedly was using a cell phone while operating the train. After the NTSB investigated the accident it was found that cell phone use and/or distraction was not the cause of the accident, but an episode of micro-sleep caused by sleep apnea was likely the reason for the operator losing awareness of her environment. Edmonds was a relatively inexperienced operator who had tried for several years to get the job and was happy to have received it. The qualifications for the job included a high school diploma, a valid driver's license, a background check, and seven weeks of training.
Cell phone records indicated that Edmonds was not using her cell phone at the time of the incident. NTSB investigators also found that the brakes had not been applied, and the tracks were not faulty.
Aftermath
In 2009, the NTSB released its final report on the crash. About a year later, another crash on the same route was blamed on an operator texting while driving.