The MBTA transit police and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, Pesaturo said. The Globe requested an interview Sunday afternoon with MBTA CEO Steve Poftak to discuss the death, the latest in a string of safety issues involving MBTA trains and facilities over the past year. In response to a request from the Globe, the MBTA issued a statement: “A comprehensive investigation into the incident is ongoing. “As MBTA Transit Police detectives work to establish the facts, the investigation will include, as an example, the collection of witness statements, the examination of any images taken by cameras and the examination of maintenance and vehicle inspection records.” The MBTA issued another statement to the Globe shortly afterwards stating that the subway “is a safe and reliable way of transit, with hundreds of thousands of passengers using it every day without any problems”. “The safe operation of the transit system is of paramount importance and that is why the MBTA, the transit police and the NTSB have launched a thorough investigation into last night’s events,” the statement said. Traffic Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation. A spokesman for Governor Charlie Baker’s office referred questions to the MBTA. Riders waiting for trains at Broadway station on Sunday afternoon said they were horrified by the man’s death. “It’s extremely frustrating to hear that this is still happening,” said Ryan Ellegood, a 21-year-old student from the Northeast. “T and public transport generally need a complete overhaul,” he added. “The transit infrastructure could generally be improved. “We have a mayor at the moment who shows that he has started to be interested in transportation, which is fantastic, but after that there should be an improvement.” Coran Day, 27, of Jamaica Plain, said the news was shocking, but he was not shocked to learn of another MBTA accident. “I feel like there are always stories about things going wrong in T,” Day said. “It seems to be a budgetary and political problem, whether money and time are being spent on this issue or if it is just being put in the background,” he added. Helene Wong, 28, of Jamaica Plain, wondered how often trains were checked for safety. “This is the [door] “the sensors are for,” he said of Sunday’s incident. “One should never be to blame. [They should] check the sensors more. “ Kristine O’Connell, 36, of East Weymouth, said she was more concerned about subway violence than equipment malfunctions. “It must not happen. “Security must be a priority for the public,” he said. “The equipment must be reliable.” Sometimes this does not happen. In September, a Red Line train derailed and struck the Broadway station platform with 47 passengers on board. No injuries were reported. The derailment came two days after an escalator at Back Bay Station malfunctioned and suddenly fell backwards, causing a bloody crowd to sink to the bottom. Nine people were taken to hospital. In July, a Green Line train crashed into a train in front of it at Pleasant Street Station, sending 27 people to the hospital, including three MBTA crew members. Former Suffolk prosecutor Rachael Rollins launched an investigation into the accident and a possible “lack of oversight or negligence” in the MBTA in January, shortly before stepping down to become a U.S. attorney for Massachusetts. Globe correspondent Ramsey Khalifeh contributed to this report. You can contact Nick Stoico at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @NickStoico.
