Officials in Belmont, Massachusetts are investigating an MBTA commuter rail accident that killed an 18-year-old woman on Thursday afternoon. The train accident occurred around 12:52pm when the teen crossed the train tracks for unknown reasons and apparently didn’t see or hear the oncoming train. Police believe the MBTA accident victim was a student at the nearby Belmont High School.
According to Deputy Chief of the MBTA Transit Police, the train stopped a “short distance” after impact. Investigators are still determining the train’s speed, but the deputy chief said that commuter trains in that section of the track can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Some students reportedly crawl through a hole in the fence and cross the commuter rail tracks a short cut, but a note on Belmont High School’s website cautions that anyone found on the tracks is subject to arrest on charges of trespassing.
The name of the victim has not been released pending notification of her family. The fatal train accident is being investigated by the transit police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.
Sources: Probe Continues Into Girl’s Train Death, TheBostonChannel.com, November 6, 2009
Belmont teen struck and killed by MBTA commuter rail train, WickedLocal.com, November 5, 2009
Have you lost a relative to a commuter rail or train accident. If so, our MBTA injury attorneys can help.