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Distracted by Facebook, driver winds up on Green Line tracks in Brookline

The Brookline crash happened less than an hour before service on the Green Line's C branch was set to begin.

A driver who was scrolling through Facebook crashed and wound up on the Green Line tracks in Brookline Sunday morning, MBTA Transit Police said. MBTA Transit Police/Twitter

By Abby Patkin

February 7, 2023

While scrolling through Facebook on their cell phone early Sunday morning, a distracted driver crashed through protective fencing and landed on the Green Line tracks in Brookline, MBTA Transit Police said.

The crash happened around 4 a.m. near the intersection of Beacon Street and Strathmore Road, transit police said on Twitter Tuesday.

ON THE TRACKS:

Driver facing charges after crash lands car on Green Line tracks near MFA

The incident came less than an hour before service on the Green Line’s C branch was scheduled to begin; on the weekend, regular service from Cleveland Circle starts around 4:50 a.m., according to the MBTA.

Transit police said they will seek charges against the driver. TPD Superintendent Richard Sullivan told Boston.com in an email that the department is still looking into potential charges, which could include “at a minimum Impeded Operation[,] perhaps driving to endanger.”

2/5 4AM operator scrolling through Facebook on their cellphone was distracted enough they crashed through protective fencing and onto the GL tracks at Beacon/Strathmore in Brookline. Charges will be sought. #MBTA pic.twitter.com/Cne3KwEsMC
— MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) February 7, 2023