The driver of the MBTA trolley that crashed near Government Center in May 2009 blew through a red light because he was texting, a newly released National Transportation Safety Board report says.
The 10-page report gave very little new information about the crash that injured 68 people and cost $9.6 million.
The driver, Aiden Quinn, had already admitted to texting at the time of the crash — a violation of the T’s cell phone policy prohibiting the use of cell phones on the job.
However, the report indicates that Quinn did not stop at both yellow and red lights leading up to the collision, but instead accelerated to the near-maximum allowed speed of 25 mph.
“The pilot operator was text messaging … and it is likely that this activity caused him to lose his situational awareness and his focus on operating the train,” the report states.
Quinn pleaded guilty in December to negligence and was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
