A troubled history
During the evening rush hour on May 28, a trolley on the Green Line's D branch crashed into the rear of a stopped train, killing the operator and injuring at least a dozen passengers. The accident was the latest in a series of incidents on the Green Line in the last several years.
May 14 A Green Line trolley on the B branch with roughly 30 people aboard derailed and caught fire on Commonwealth Avenue at the intersection of Chestnut Hill.Avenue The crash disrupted service and damaged the trolley and the track, but caused no injuries.
Feb. 9 A B branch trolley collided with a truck on Commonwealth Avenue near Cummington Street, pushing the truck into a light pole. One passenger was injured during the accident, which officials blamed on the truck driver, saying he made an illegal left turn into the trolley's path.
Dec. 13, 2007 A trolley was stopped at the platform of the MBTA's Boylston Station in the Back Bay when another trolley hit it from behind at low speed. The rear wheels of the rear car of the lead trolley were knocked off the tracks, and nine people were treated at local hospitals with relatively minor injuries.
Sept. 4, 2007 A C branch trolley and a flatbed truck collided on Beacon Street near Coolidge Corner, leaving the truck driver and two passengers with minor injuries. After authorities determined that the truck had made an improper left turn into the trolley's path, the truck driver was cited for failure to yield.
July 7, 2005 A Green Line driver failed to heed a stop signal and crashed into another trolley between the Copley and Arlington stations in Boston's Back Bay section. The driver and two other train operators suffered minor injuries and 100 riders were evacuated through an emergency hatch on Boylston Street. Officials cited operator error as the cause and removed the driver, a 19-year veteran, from Green Line duty. 