Possible Criminal Charges in Trolley Crash
Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Criminal charges are being considered in a Suffolk County grand jury against Aiden Quinn, an MBTA Green Line trolley driver. Earlier this month, Quinn rear-ended another trolley near Government Center Station, according to two officials who are familiar with the case.
Quinn’s attorney, Michelle Menken said, “It’s not a surprise. I have not been notified and I’m not aware that Quinn had already been asked to testify.”
Meanwhile, the district attorney’s spokesman of Suffolk, Jake Wark, said “By nature, the grand jury proceedings are confidential and we cannot discuss, deny, or confirm such proceedings.”
The 24-year-old Quinn told authorities that he was sending a text message to his girlfriend so he missed the red light and slammed into three trolleys, injuring nearly 50 people in the process.
Quinn has already been fired from MBTA and could still face criminal charges, according to authorities. This crash has sparked a public debate about the dangerous habit of texting while driving. Some disagree with the criminal charges filed against Quinn while some say that he’s self-incriminating for telling the truth.
This case could be a wake up call for people who constantly use their cell phones while driving. In fact, it appears that there’s enough momentum for the State House to completely ban texting while driving cars.
Tags: Aiden Quinn, attorney, Criminal, district attorney, Government Center Station, MBTA, Michelle Menken, Suffolk County