Two people were killed when they were struck by a Commuter Rail train operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on the Framingham/Worcester line during the evening commute on Monday, according to the Middlesex district attorney.
Over the course of the evening commute, the incident took place between Natick Centre and West Natick. A number of hours were spent on the tracks by investigators from the Transit Police Department and Keolis, who were taking measurements and photographs while attempting to piece together the sequence of events.
According to a spokesperson for the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, all indications point to the absence of any criminal activity. The incident resulted in the suspension of all Commuter Rail service on the line for a period of times exceeding several hours. "I find it very strange because normally it's just one person," said Donald Collins, a commuter rail passenger.
"It has never happened before." The tracks are located in close proximity to a bicycle park that caters to children, some of whom were lucky enough to witness the terrible tragedy unfold. A man on a bicycle reportedly made an attempt to assist a woman who was located close to the railroad tracks, according to multiple witnesses.
A witness who wished to remain anonymous described the scene. "He picked up her backpack, she had fallen down, he was trying to pick her up, and then all of the sudden, the train was stopped, and they were both deceased," the individual who witnessed it said. "I just feel bad for the train driver, he's got to live with that," said yet another individual who chose not to reveal their name.
"Framingham/Worcester Line passengers will experience significant delays in both directions due to police activity on the right of way in the Natick area," according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's website. Approximately eight o'clock in the evening, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced that the tracks were restarted for full service.
The train that was scheduled to depart from Worcester at 4:45 p.m. was stopped at Natick. The South Station train that was scheduled to depart for Framingham at five o'clock was halted at Auburndale.
There will be no train from South Station to Framingham at 5:45 p.m., as it has been cancelled. The 6:15 p.m. fast train to Worcester was canceled. The 6:35 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. trains to Worcester were delayed. Multiple inbound trains from Worcester and Framingham to South Station were either delayed or canceled.