A Boston College student who walked in front of a Green Line train on Commonwealth Avenue was struck while wearing headphones Monday morning around 9:20 a.m.
The injured student was identified as Michael Cordo, CSOM '10, of Sudbury, Mass.
Cordo suffered serious head and leg injuries and facial lacerations, said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. "He remains in critical but stable condition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston where he is being treated for head and body injuries suffered when he was struck by the green line trolley," Dunn said.
On Tuesday, Cordo was stabilized and moved from the emergency room to an intensive care unit, where his entire family attends to him.
He said that Cordo was conscious and talking as he was transported to the hospital by ambulance.
Dunn said Cordo was crossing the tracks near Greycliff Road when he was struck. "Witnesses said he was wearing an iPod and apparently did not hear the trolley conductor honk the horn as he crossed the tracks," Dunn said.
Joe Pesaturo, spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said that Cordo was not crossing the tracks at a designated pedestrian crossing. "Sounding the trolley's horn, the operator attempted unsuccessfully to get the trespasser's attention," he said. "Buses replaced trolley service between Washington Street and BC until 2 p.m. while transit police investigated the scene. The investigation continues."
In a separate interview conducted with WCVB, Pesaturo said the incident happened in an area closed to pedestrians.
"There are Jersey barriers at that end. He obviously walked around those. We do have designated crossing areas for pedestrians, which we encourage people to use because, you can see what happens when you don't use one of the designated crossing areas," Pesaturo said.
Pesaturo said that the trolley driver was also taken to the hospital for evaluation. He was only shaken up and traumatized by the incident, and there were no obvious signs of physical injuries to that driver, he said.
The University asks the BC community to keep Cordo and his family in their thoughts and prayers; students who wish to send him cards or well wishes can do so through Campus Ministry.
Cordo concentrates in marketing and finance at BC, where he also has a brother in attendance.
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