Overview
- Steven McCluskey fell and became trapped at the bottom of a Davis Square escalator on Feb. 27, surveillance footage shows he remained there for about 20 minutes, and he died of his injuries on March 9 after being taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.
- Video released by reporters shows more than a dozen riders walking past McCluskey without pressing the emergency stop or calling 911, and first responders took more than 30 minutes to free him and transport him by ambulance.
- The MBTA said it will run a new public service announcement about the location and use of escalator emergency stop buttons in stations within weeks and said it is reviewing the incident for possible safety changes.
- MBTA leaders apologized to board members who said they were not notified of the severity of the incident, and the agency’s chief operating officer has pledged to improve internal communications while the Middlesex County DA continues its investigation.
- The footage has driven strong public outrage, prompted a planned vigil in Somerville, and could prompt wider rider education and equipment or monitoring changes as officials consider next steps.