Texting Trolley Operator IndictedTexting Trolley Operator Indicted

The Boston trolley operator who was texting on his cell phone when the trolley he was operating crashed has been indicted and faces three years in prison. The collision injured 49 people and caused $9 million in damage.

According to law enforcement officials, motorman Aiden Quinn admitted that he was texting his girlfriend while his trolley traveled nearly 600 feet through a tunnel and ran a yellow and a red light. When Quinn looked up from his cell phone, he was just 8 feet from the rear of a stopped trolley, officials said.

The indictment was issued after a grand jury examined the accident. While there were no life-threatening injuries to passengers, a few suffered serious injuries. Three trolleys were destroyed.

The crash caused the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to ban operators from carrying electronic devices on trains or buses -- the strictest ban in the United States. In a statement, MBTA general manager Daniel Grabauskas said the indictment "reinforces the importance of our strict, new policy that prohibits bus and train operators from even possessing cell phones while on duty." The leader of the MBTA union has said he supports a ban on cell phone use, but has argued that trolley and bus operators should be able to use their handsets while on long breaks.

Quinn's attorney said the former trolley operator is "deeply remorseful" over his role in the crash.

Massachusetts has no regulations outlawing the use of cell phones in motor vehicles, but the trolley crash caused state lawmakers to call for legislation that would ban cell phone use by drivers.

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