A 19-year-old man on his first trip on Boston’s public transit system died after jumping onto the tracks to save his girlfriend at Forest Hills station. Frankey Wright Jr, of Lowell, Massachusetts, died on Saturday afternoon after landing on the high-voltage third rail while trying to pull his girlfriend back onto the platform. His 19-year-old girlfriend was seriously injured in the fall and was taken to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition. Reports from WHDH 7News and Boston 25 News said the tragedy happened shortly after 1:00 pm on the Orange Line platform in the Jamaica Plain neighbourhood.
Sudden loss of balance on the platform
According to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Transit Police, the couple had arrived at the station to travel to the annual Caribbean Festival at nearby Franklin Park. Police said the young woman became unsteady near the yellow safety strip, lost her balance and fell from the platform into the tracks. Wright Jr jumped down to help her get back up, but he lost his footing and came into contact with the exposed third rail, which carries 600 volts of direct current. Emergency workers pronounced him dead at the scene. A spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said transit police are conducting a full investigation, although investigators do not suspect foul play.
Tributes to a creative and selfless youth
Speaking to Boston 25 News, the victim’s father, Frankey Wright Sr, described his son as a kind and intelligent young man who worked with children with autism and had created his own clothing line. “My son was a noble young man, and he lost his life trying to save the life of his girlfriend,” Frankey Wright Sr told Boston 25 News. “I’m going to miss my baby.” His sister, Paige Wright, spoke to 7NEWS about the family’s grief and her brother’s instinct to protect others. “I would never think I would lose my youngest brother this early,” Paige said to 7NEWS. “They were excited to go to the festival together. They were going to have a good day.” Paige said her brother’s decision to risk his life showed the kind of person he was, adding: “He loved his girlfriend, and so this really just shows the person that he was. Always trying to help someone and be there for someone.”
Calls for stronger safety measures on transit platforms
The incident has led to calls for better physical safety measures across the MBTA subway system to prevent people from falling onto active tracks. In a statement, MBTA Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan expressed sympathy for the family, calling the incident a “horrific tragedy” and offering condolences on behalf of the entire transit agency. However, the victim’s relatives said physical barriers should have been installed to help prevent such accidents. “This was just so unfortunate and just honestly, it shouldn’t happen to anybody else. There should have been something there to save him,” Paige Wright told Boston 25 News. The tragedy came as the MBTA was beginning early planning to test platform screen doors, which are protective glass barriers that stay closed until a train stops completely. As reported by Streetsblog Massachusetts, agency spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said the MBTA is preparing a formal request for proposals for a pilot project to study the use of such barriers at selected Orange or Red Line stations.Similar platform safety systems are used on major transport networks across Europe and Asia, as well as at some stations in New York City. They help keep passengers away from moving trains and high-voltage rails. Commuters at Forest Hills station also raised safety concerns when speaking to Boston 25 News. One passenger said protective fencing or automatic gates could help protect vulnerable riders, noting: “Put safety measures in place to kind of make sure that people can’t just fall off. It could’ve been a kid; it could’ve been anybody.” The Wright family has set up a GoFundMe fundraising page to help pay for funeral expenses for the 19-year-old designer. Meanwhile, local officials continue to examine the safety conditions surrounding the station platform.
