By: Noah Bierman and Martin Finucane
Aiden Quinn, the 24-year-old trolley operator who told authorities that he was sending a text message to his girlfriend when his trolley rear-ended another trolley last week, has been fired, the MBTA said this afternoon.
"You have admitted to MBTA officials that you were on your cellphone and text messaging immediately prior to the crash," MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas told Quinn in a letter. "The Authority's investigation shows that your poor judgment and inattention to duty caused you to violate a signal before rear-ending [another trolley] ... The impact of the accident caused numerous injuries to the passengers and employees on both trains, as well as millions of dollars worth of damage to both trains."
Quinn's actions in the Green Line crash, which sent nearly 50 passengers to the hospital, sparked outrage among the public and officials. The crash raised questions about T hiring and spurred a crackdown by T officials on drivers bringing cellphones aboard, which was challenged today by the T's union.
The termination letter from Grabauskas said that Quinn had violated a variety of MBTA rules by his actions, including those against using cellphones and rules requiring operators to pay attention to their duty and observe track signals. The letter also said Quinn had violated the rules requiring obedience to orders by not agreeing to appear for an interview Friday with T officials to discuss the accident.
Quinn's attorney, Michelle Menken, said her client was remorseful about the accident and was hospitalized today having surgery on his wrist, which was shattered during the crash. She said Quinn, who had earlier spoken to MBTA Transit Police and signed a written statement, could not submit to any more interviews because he is facing criminal charges.
"If the district attorney's office makes the decision that this was a horrible accident but not a crime so that Aiden Quinn is not the target of a criminal investigation any longer, then the landscape changes in terms of his willingness to speak with investigators," she said.
Quinn's termination was effective today, the letter said. It asked him to turn over any property belonging to the T, including his badge, pass, keys, and rule book.
