A tragic incident occurred on Saturday morning in Cohasset, Massachusetts, when an MBTA Commuter Rail train collided with a pickup truck at the Beechwood Street railroad crossing, resulting in one fatality. The crash happened around 11:20 a.m., according to Cohasset police. The Boston-bound Commuter Rail train struck the truck, killing the male driver, whose identity has not been released. Witnesses reported that the truck bypassed the flashing lights and safety gates before being hit by the northbound train. Cohasset police Chief William Quigley stated that the train was likely traveling at the 35 mph speed limit when it collided with the truck. “It does not appear to be any type of failure on the part of the equipment,” Chief Quigley said, suggesting that the crash was not due to mechanical failure. Passenger Sean Nole described the moment of impact: “We were there, we felt it, we thought it was a tree branch. We knew right away. Power shut off immediately; it was bad.” Fortunately, none of the approximately 40 passengers on board the train were injured, although they were stranded for several hours before being transported to their destination by shuttle buses. Keolis confirmed that the crossing gates and warning systems were functioning properly at the time of the incident. The Greenbush Line was reopened on Saturday evening following the closure. Chief Quigley issued a warning to the public about railroad crossings: “The train is always going to win,” he said. “Even if the gate is up, I still slow down and look.”
