A series of fatal omissions and delays in emergency response marked the death of Steven McCluskeya 40-year-old man who was trapped in a escalator in the davis station of Somerville, in the system of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), on February 27.
The tragedy, which began around five in the morning, exposed the delay of more than 20 minutes in assistance, despite the presence of numerous passengers who witnessed the situationand placed under debate both the actions of the transport company and the collective reaction of society in the face of a public accident, as revealed by media such as NBC Boston and Boston Globe.
Although the tragedy occurred a few months ago, the images were recently released due to an ongoing criminal investigation and the legal process of public records requests.
The surveillance recording obtained by NBC Boston showed that, after losing his balance at the end of the escalator, McCluskey fell and became trapped at the base of the mechanism with their tangled clothes, causing fatal asphyxiation.
The video showed that, in the following 22 minutes, more than a dozen people passed in front of him; Only two tried to help him briefly.but none of them pressed the emergency stop button or immediately called the 911 service, as confirmed Boston Globe.
The institutional reaction was not immediate either. An MBTA employee alone stopped the staircase upon arriving at the place at 5:21 hoursThat is, more than 20 minutes after the fall, when emergency services had not yet been contacted, according to records reviewed by NBC Boston.
By then, McCluskey remained motionless, no longer having a pulse.as recorded in the Somerville Fire Department report cited by New York Post.
The Flaherty family —the mother, Mariaand the younger sister, Shannon— had requested access to the video without success before it was revealed by NBC Boston. From their South Boston home, both described McCluskey as a skilled carpenter, owner of his own business and father of two childrenwho had recently faced addiction problems.
Mary Flaherty told NBC Boston his dismay: “Where was the security? Where were the ‘red coats’ that should be on each floor from when the station opens until it closes? How is it possible that in a busy station no one stops, no one sees him?”
For Shannon Flaherty, the tragedy underscores the need for institutional accountability: “I want there to be someone or something to take responsibility for the fact that my brother was not protected in a public space.”
Both insisted that the late response and the collective indifference They were decisive. Because of this, the mother of the deceased noted: “Nobody stoppedno one helped him… If someone had taken that minute, he would be here today.”
Robert Cottona consultant with more than four decades dealing with escalator infrastructure, told NBC Boston that “the MBTA failed in its duty”a legal standard called “common carrier” that requires the maximum possible diligence from public transportation. According to Cotton, “if anyone was aware of the incident, they should have acted immediately.”
For his part, the general director of the MBTA, Phil Engrecognized NBC Boston that “the security and reliability of the system are paramount” and described the fact as “a tragedy”.
Executive Eng explained that the inspector in charge that day started his shift at 4:45 a.m. and was completing the task list for the opening of the station when the incident occurred. After the emergency, staff checked the ladder and returned it to service without finding technical faults, according to the official communication shared by the MBTA.
Middlesex judicial authorities confirmed in Boston Globe that the investigation into the cause and circumstances of death remain open and pending the conclusions of the forensic doctor.
McCluskey’s death is not an isolated case in the history of the MBTA system. According to NBC Boston, In 2009 an elderly woman died at the station State Street when his clothes became tangled and constricted his neck. In 2005, another man lost his life in Porter Square under similar circumstances. In all of these cases, the lack of immediate reaction and the need for clear protocols were recurring themes.
For its part, the MBTA, in statements to Boston Globereiterated that “anyone can stop an escalator in case of emergency by pressing the red button at the top and bottom of each structure” and recommended immediately calling 911. The company maintains that its staff responds “as quickly as possible” to assist in any incident.
The images of the accident and the social response sparked a public debate in Boston about citizen responsibility in common spaces and the need to reinforce training on emergency responseboth between employees and users.
Steven McCluskey was remembered by his family, in a phrase recorded in his obituary and collected by New York Postas someone who “if something needed fixing or someone needed support, Steven was the person they turned to.”
To date, the investigation remains open, while the family maintains the demand that it be clarified why, during a situation of obvious risk and in the sight of dozens of people, no effective action managed to prevent death.
