Why I Was Almost Late to Work This Morning

[mabfan]

This morning, I decided to run an errand at the Coolidge Corner Post Office on my way to work. When I got there, just before 7 AM, I discovered that an accident had taken place on the Green Line C. From what I understand, the driver of a flatbed truck apparently tried to outrun an oncoming trolley at Charles Street, the result of which can be seen below.

Train Hits Truck #1 Photo copyright ©2007 by Michael A. Burstein

As you can see from that picture, the trolley literally knocked the truck over onto its side.

After I finished my errand, I managed to snap the above photo and a few others using my cellphone camera.

Train Hits Truck #2 Photo copyright ©2007 by Michael A. Burstein

Here's a pretty good shot of the turned-over truck:

Train Hits Truck #3 Photo copyright ©2007 by Michael A. Burstein

And another:

Train Hits Truck #4 Photo copyright ©2007 by Michael A. Burstein

And another:

Train Hits Truck #5 Photo copyright ©2007 by Michael A. Burstein

This is the last picture I snapped before I tried to figure out how I would get to work this morning:

Train Hits Truck #6 Photo copyright ©2007 by Michael A. Burstein

I walked down Beacon Street, figuring I would go to the Kenmore Square station. I ran into a gentleman who had been on the train. He told me that he was sitting on the train when he felt it brake suddenly and hit the truck. From what I've heard, three passengers were injured and taken away by ambulance. (When I got there, I saw plenty of emergency vehicles.)

The man and I spotted a T bus being used to ferry passengers, but it didn't stop for us. I tried to hail a cab but failed, so I walked to Longwood and took a very crowded Green Line D to work.

And how was your commute this morning?

(Edited to add: One last photo can be found here.)

Comments

[sarsmicama.livejournal.com]

i got stuck in the same back-up but no one had the decency to tell us so we waited and waited and waited :-) thankfully the D line was only a few blocks from my stop.

[quarkwiz.livejournal.com]

Wow! Um, very glad you weren't on that trolley.

The commute here was fine, if a little slow because of sun glare (WHY won't people wear sunglasses?). But a couple of months ago, we had a Situation at the inbound tunnel....

How did the driver fare?

[jikamens.livejournal.com]

I hope the driver of the truck wasn't seriously injured.

On the other hand, I hope his pocketbook *is* seriously injured. He should be cited by the police for doing something so stupid and sued by everyone with skin in the game. It's just so friggin' irritating when people do things like this. "If I manage to beat that train I'll save two or three minutes! That's certainly worth the risk of injury to myself and a train full of passengers; damage to my truck and the trolley; a large response cost for the police, fire department and EMTs; and a huge amount of inconvenience to the tens of thousands of people who take this train to work every day. Oh, wait, no, it isn't worth the risk at all. Boy, am I an idiot!"

Re: How did the driver fare?

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how the driver is doing, but the news didn't report any fatalities, and all the injuries I've heard about so far have been among the passengers.

Re: How did the driver fare?

[maric23.livejournal.com]

The two injuries I saw as follows. There was a doctor who was either on the train or walking nearby, he was already examining people by the time I got off the train. The driver of the truck was sitting out there for awhile, until the paramedics got him in a neck brace, on a stretcher, and presumably took him off (I gave up waiting for the MBTA bus by then). The other injury I saw was another passanger (I think), who had some knee/leg pain. Not sure about the third.

Re: How did the driver fare?

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

The driver was apparently one of the three injured and brought to the hospital.

Re: How did the driver fare?

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

Well, the driver definitely has some kind of cranial damage, to think that stunt was a good idea. In all the years I lived in Boston, I swear the C-line was snakebitten.

[lisafeld.livejournal.com]

Jesus. Was anyone hurt?

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

The news reported three injuries.

[lisafeld.livejournal.com]

Oh, man.

[sdelmonte]

The R and the F were both being slow today so I was behind my own (padded) schedule.

[rustmon.livejournal.com]

slow. need coffee. but good.

glad you are okay! *HUGS*

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, I wasn't on that train this morning. But I might have been, given its schedule...

Good thing I had an errand to run instead that morning.

[maric23.livejournal.com]

I was on that train. And late to work, even with a cab to park st. As best as i could tell only 1 passenger and the truck driver went to the hospital. This whole idea of the c line being faster really isn't working well for me.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Had the timing worked out, and had I known you were there, I would have split the cab with you.

From what the news reported, two passengers went to the hospital, as well as the truck driver.

[zanzjan.livejournal.com]

my commute? um... there was a farm tractor out on the road, so that increased my drive time from 8 to about 12 min. This is why I live in the middle of nowhere -- trading away friends, family, and community for those precious extra minutes in the morning and the smell of cows.

I know you now have no sympathy for me whatsoever. I guess now's not the time to ask you tricky astronomy questions )-:

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Twelve whole minutes? Wow!

Actually, now that I no longer have to drive to work anymore, I far prefer my commute. Just a quick trip (usually) down the Green Line. In a real pinch, I could always walk to work.

[zanzjan.livejournal.com]

If I didn't have to drop my daughter off at school on the way, I could easily bike or take the bus. Alas, we school-choice to another town, so the daily mom-limo is an unavoidable necessity.

[lucretia-borgia.livejournal.com]

My commute to work? Hmm, let's see. I stumbled down the stairs, carrying some assorted junk (having given the first of three laundry loads to Seth to carry down). About 20 seconds. About average, despite the severe (sinus) congestion.

[lucretia-borgia.livejournal.com]

(As a followup, though, I'll note that there were numerous overturned trucks once I got to work.)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Wow. Thanks for the eyewitness report! It would have been hard to imagine.