According to an affidavit from the MBTA police, the 42-year-old bus operator who drove through a guardrail was holding a cell phone when the accident happened. Eight people sustained non-life threatening injuries in the Newton, MA bus crash on Sunday that left a bus to partially hang off a bridge over the Massachusetts Turnpike.
The bus operator, Mattapan resident Shanna Shaw, is charged with speeding, operating to endanger, impeded operation, and obstruction of justice. She initially told an investigator that she shut her eyes while driving because she’d sneezed. However, a closer look at surveillance footage showed that Shaw was holding something in her left hand at the time. Shaw later admitted it was an iPhone.
MBTA bus operators are not allowed to have a phone with them while on duty. Instant termination is the penalty for using a phone while driving at work.
According to the Boston Herald, since 1994, Shaw has been found responsible for three surchargeable accidents. She also has accrued numerous moving violations over the years. Her license was even revoked a year after she started working for the MBTA because she did not pay for three moving violations. MBTA says that Shaw never told them that she had lost her license.
If you or someone you love was injured in an MBTA bus crash, you should contact an experienced Boston injury law firm right away. You may have reason to pursue a Massachusetts bus accident lawsuit against the MBTA, the bus, driver or other parties who were involved depending on the specifics of what caused the collision.
Distracted Driving
Statistics show that talking on the phone while driving any vehicle can impair a motorist’s ability to pay attention or react quickly during a collision. In 2012 alone, about 421,000 people were injured and over 3,300 thousands died with because someone was distracted while driving.
Distracted driving is negligent driving. Please contact our Boston distracted driving accident lawyers to find out whether you should file a case.
T police: Bus driver was holding cell phone at time of bridge crash, Boston Herald, May 22, 2014
DA Investigating MBTA Bus Crash in Newton That Injured 8, Boston.com, May 18, 2014
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