MBTA worker who died after getting struck by vehicle is identified: ‘Dedicated and hardworking employee’
The MBTA worker who died after getting struck by a vehicle in the Charlestown bus garage yard on Monday was a “dedicated and hardworking” T employee for nearly 20 years.
Bernadin Etienne, 62, has been identified as the MBTA bus operator who died after the accident at around 6 a.m., when he was reporting to his bus for work. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later succumbed to the injuries.
MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak on Monday mourned the loss of “a valued member of the team,” the GM said during the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board’s meeting. Etienne was well liked by colleagues and “performed admirably” in his work duties, Poftak said.
“Obviously a tragic, tragic day here at the MBTA, and obviously an event that weighs heavily on all of us,” he said.
In a letter to employees, Poftak and the president of Boston Carmen’s Union wrote that Etienne was a “dedicated and hardworking employee for the MBTA for almost 20 years, and we miss him already.”
Pictures from the scene showed an MBTA bus cordoned off behind yellow police tape.
The MBTA Transit Police and Boston Police are investigating.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation to make sure any safety issues are addressed,” Poftak said.
“Safety is a top priority at the MBTA, and something we strive for individually and as an organization each day,” states the letter to employees. “A thorough investigation to determine the cause and circumstances surrounding this accident is currently being conducted.
“While we wait to learn its findings, I ask that you keep Bernadin and his family in your hearts,” the letter reads.
The MBTA offers access to grief counseling through its Employee Assistance Program.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2FX8s1E
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