Runaway Red Line Train Operator Suspended

The operator of a runway Red Line train has been disciplined by the MBTA.

A union official tells WHDH that David Vasquez has been suspended 30 days without pay pending his termination. The decision came following a disciplinary hearing that was held Tuesday.

Vasquez can appeal the decision, but his attorney said he doesn’t plan to.

Managers for the Red Line and the MBTA also recommended terminating Vasquez’s employment, according to the Boston Globe. The move would require the approval of General Manager Frank DePaola.

The hearing follows Monday’s fact-finding hearing, which driver David Felix Vasquez did not attend. According to recent reports, Vasquez was to not attend due to his recent issues with high stress.

Vasquez is denying a claim that he wrapped a cord around the throttle, saying through his lawyer that he ran to the station as fast as he could to report the train.

After leaving the Braintree station a little past 6 a.m., the runaway train went through Quincy before MBTA workers were able to shut down the third rail and stop the train just past North Quincy.

Photo Credit: WHDH, 7-News