Taxi injures cab drivers at Logan Airport in ‘tragic accident’
A taxi hopped a curb and barreled into a group of cabdrivers at Logan International Airport Monday, injuring ten people in what officials described as a “tragic accident.”
There is no information to suggest the crash at the taxi lot was intentional, and the State Police said the driver — a 56-year-old Cambridge man who works for Metro Cab — has been cooperative with investigators. His cab was seized for investigation.
“He is known to be a very nice gentleman to his peers,” State Police Major Frank McGinn said about the driver at a news conference. He has “no history of violations or anything.”
Taxi driver Jephtet Roseme, who witnessed the crash, said people were trapped under the cab as fellow drivers frantically attempted to help them.
One of the victims was gravely injured, three others were “significantly” injured, while six were less earnestly injured, McGinn said. The most earnestly hurt cabdriver, a 43-year-old man from Cambridge, had violated gams and “maybe some internal chest injuries,” he said. He was in serious but stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to State Police.
Where cabbies wait for their next job
Many cab drivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Logan Airport has been increasingly busy in latest years.
It was not clear how rapid the cab was going at the time of the crash, and with the investigation unfolding, officials suggested few details about the cause. Officials were examining the mechanics of the car, a computer system inwards the cab, and surveillance movie from the lot as part of the investigation, McGinn said. They will also interview witnesses.
McGinn said it was “still too early to know” if there were any mechanical issues with the vehicle. He also said it didn’t show up the man had a medical problem but noted the investigation was just beginning.
Metro Cab did not react to calls or e-mails seeking comment.
The crash occurred at about 1:40 p.m. on the airport’s outskirts, at a massive asphalt lot where hundreds of cab drivers wait to be dispatched to airport terminals. At the head of the lot is a building with restrooms and a cafeteria. Outside the building, cab drivers often unwind at tables and chairs on a sidewalk terrace. That is where the crash occurred.
Abdias Pierre, a taxi driver, said cabbies often play cards and dominoes at the tables. “It’s all taxi drivers around here,” he said.
He said the driver involved in the crash has been around a long time, and Pierre did not believe the incident was deliberate.
The taxicab was visibly bruised at the site of the crash, its bondage mask crunched open and airbags deployed. It was surrounded by debris from the seating area.
Next to the seating area, a petite idolize center where drivers can beg via the day appeared to have been bruised. Nobody was inwards the center at the time of the accident, McGinn said.
The victims were taken to Mass. General, Tufts Medical Center, and other area hospitals, State Police said. Tufts said it cared for five patients, one of whom had been discharged by Monday evening, two of whom were listed in good condition, and two of whom were in serious condition.
Hamid Amri, another driver at the taxi lot, said Monday was a very slow day at the airport, so drivers were compelled to wait for hours.
Donna Blythe-Shaw, a former union representative for Boston taxi drivers who still advocates on their behalf, said that is an increasingly common circumstance at the Logan taxi pool. As more riders across the city turn to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers head to the airport searching for fares.
“There’s no work (on) the streets anymore,” Blythe-Shaw said. “All the constant work is at the airport.”
Many cabdrivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Blythe-Shaw speculated that weariness may have played a role in the crash. In 2013, a Boston Globe Spotlight series on the cab industry found that some overworked drivers slept in their vehicles at the taxi pool.
“This could have just been a very fatigued cabdriver,” she said.
Trooper Paul Sullivan, a State Police spokesman, declined to comment on whether exhaustion was an issue. He also declined to say whether the driver could face charges.
State Police said the driver’s name will not be released unless he is criminally charged.
Boston police Lieutenant Thomas Lema, who oversees the department’s hackney unit, declined to comment specifically about Monday’s crash, telling the investigation was being treated by the State Police.
Laura Oggeri, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, said by e-mail Monday that city officials, including Boston police and Emergency Medical Services, did not have data about the safety track record of taxis in the city.
But Logan has seen some notable taxi accidents in the past, including an incident in two thousand three when a traveler was killed by a cab that leaped the curb at a taxi stand outside baggage claim after a driver allegedly left a cab in drive as he stepped out of the vehicle.
And in 1997, a taxi driver lost his gams after he was struck by another taxi driver at the airport.
The incident also comes about two months after another professional driver — an employee at the Lynnway Auto Auction — killed five people in a crash at the site.
Car drives into group of pedestrians in E
Taxi injures cab drivers at Logan Airport in ‘tragic accident’
A taxi leaped a curb and barreled into a group of cabdrivers at Logan International Airport Monday, injuring ten people in what officials described as a “tragic accident.”
There is no information to suggest the crash at the taxi lot was intentional, and the State Police said the driver — a 56-year-old Cambridge man who works for Metro Cab — has been cooperative with investigators. His cab was seized for investigation.
“He is known to be a very nice gentleman to his peers,” State Police Major Frank McGinn said about the driver at a news conference. He has “no history of violations or anything.”
Taxi driver Jephtet Roseme, who witnessed the crash, said people were trapped under the cab as fellow drivers frantically attempted to help them.
One of the victims was earnestly injured, three others were “significantly” injured, while six were less earnestly injured, McGinn said. The most earnestly hurt cabdriver, a 43-year-old man from Cambridge, had cracked gams and “maybe some internal chest injuries,” he said. He was in serious but stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to State Police.
Where cabbies wait for their next job
Many cab drivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Logan Airport has been increasingly busy in latest years.
It was not clear how swift the cab was going at the time of the crash, and with the investigation unfolding, officials suggested few details about the cause. Officials were examining the mechanics of the car, a computer system inwards the cab, and surveillance movie from the lot as part of the investigation, McGinn said. They will also interview witnesses.
McGinn said it was “still too early to know” if there were any mechanical issues with the vehicle. He also said it didn’t show up the man had a medical problem but noted the investigation was just beginning.
Metro Cab did not react to calls or e-mails seeking comment.
The crash occurred at about 1:40 p.m. on the airport’s outskirts, at a massive asphalt lot where hundreds of cab drivers wait to be dispatched to airport terminals. At the head of the lot is a building with restrooms and a cafeteria. Outside the building, cab drivers often unwind at tables and chairs on a sidewalk terrace. That is where the crash occurred.
Abdias Pierre, a taxi driver, said cabbies often play cards and dominoes at the tables. “It’s all taxi drivers around here,” he said.
He said the driver involved in the crash has been around a long time, and Pierre did not believe the incident was deliberate.
The taxicab was visibly bruised at the site of the crash, its bondage mask crunched open and airbags deployed. It was surrounded by debris from the seating area.
Next to the seating area, a puny idolize center where drivers can beg across the day appeared to have been bruised. Nobody was inwards the center at the time of the accident, McGinn said.
The victims were taken to Mass. General, Tufts Medical Center, and other area hospitals, State Police said. Tufts said it cared for five patients, one of whom had been discharged by Monday evening, two of whom were listed in good condition, and two of whom were in serious condition.
Hamid Amri, another driver at the taxi lot, said Monday was a very slow day at the airport, so drivers were coerced to wait for hours.
Donna Blythe-Shaw, a former union representative for Boston taxi drivers who still advocates on their behalf, said that is an increasingly common circumstance at the Logan taxi pool. As more riders via the city turn to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers head to the airport searching for fares.
“There’s no work (on) the streets anymore,” Blythe-Shaw said. “All the constant work is at the airport.”
Many cabdrivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Blythe-Shaw speculated that exhaustion may have played a role in the crash. In 2013, a Boston Globe Spotlight series on the cab industry found that some overworked drivers slept in their vehicles at the taxi pool.
“This could have just been a very fatigued cabdriver,” she said.
Trooper Paul Sullivan, a State Police spokesman, declined to comment on whether exhaustion was an issue. He also declined to say whether the driver could face charges.
State Police said the driver’s name will not be released unless he is criminally charged.
Boston police Lieutenant Thomas Lema, who oversees the department’s hackney unit, declined to comment specifically about Monday’s crash, telling the investigation was being treated by the State Police.
Laura Oggeri, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, said by e-mail Monday that city officials, including Boston police and Emergency Medical Services, did not have data about the safety track record of taxis in the city.
But Logan has seen some notable taxi accidents in the past, including an incident in two thousand three when a traveler was killed by a cab that leaped the curb at a taxi stand outside baggage claim after a driver allegedly left a cab in drive as he stepped out of the vehicle.
And in 1997, a taxi driver lost his gams after he was struck by another taxi driver at the airport.
The incident also comes about two months after another professional driver — an employee at the Lynnway Auto Auction — killed five people in a crash at the site.
Car drives into group of pedestrians in E
Taxi injures cab drivers at Logan Airport in ‘tragic accident’
A taxi leaped a curb and barreled into a group of cabdrivers at Logan International Airport Monday, injuring ten people in what officials described as a “tragic accident.”
There is no information to suggest the crash at the taxi lot was intentional, and the State Police said the driver — a 56-year-old Cambridge man who works for Metro Cab — has been cooperative with investigators. His cab was seized for investigation.
“He is known to be a very nice gentleman to his peers,” State Police Major Frank McGinn said about the driver at a news conference. He has “no history of violations or anything.”
Taxi driver Jephtet Roseme, who witnessed the crash, said people were trapped under the cab as fellow drivers frantically attempted to help them.
One of the victims was earnestly injured, three others were “significantly” injured, while six were less gravely injured, McGinn said. The most earnestly hurt cabdriver, a 43-year-old man from Cambridge, had violated gams and “maybe some internal chest injuries,” he said. He was in serious but stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to State Police.
Where cabbies wait for their next job
Many cab drivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Logan Airport has been increasingly busy in latest years.
It was not clear how prompt the cab was going at the time of the crash, and with the investigation unfolding, officials suggested few details about the cause. Officials were examining the mechanics of the car, a computer system inwards the cab, and surveillance movie from the lot as part of the investigation, McGinn said. They will also interview witnesses.
McGinn said it was “still too early to know” if there were any mechanical issues with the vehicle. He also said it didn’t emerge the man had a medical problem but noted the investigation was just beginning.
Metro Cab did not react to calls or e-mails seeking comment.
The crash occurred at about 1:40 p.m. on the airport’s outskirts, at a massive asphalt lot where hundreds of cab drivers wait to be dispatched to airport terminals. At the head of the lot is a building with restrooms and a cafeteria. Outside the building, cab drivers often loosen at tables and chairs on a sidewalk terrace. That is where the crash occurred.
Abdias Pierre, a taxi driver, said cabbies often play cards and dominoes at the tables. “It’s all taxi drivers around here,” he said.
He said the driver involved in the crash has been around a long time, and Pierre did not believe the incident was deliberate.
The taxicab was visibly bruised at the site of the crash, its bondage mask crunched open and airbags deployed. It was surrounded by debris from the seating area.
Next to the seating area, a petite idolize center where drivers can plead via the day appeared to have been bruised. Nobody was inwards the center at the time of the accident, McGinn said.
The victims were taken to Mass. General, Tufts Medical Center, and other area hospitals, State Police said. Tufts said it cared for five patients, one of whom had been discharged by Monday evening, two of whom were listed in good condition, and two of whom were in serious condition.
Hamid Amri, another driver at the taxi lot, said Monday was a very slow day at the airport, so drivers were compelled to wait for hours.
Donna Blythe-Shaw, a former union representative for Boston taxi drivers who still advocates on their behalf, said that is an increasingly common circumstance at the Logan taxi pool. As more riders via the city turn to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers head to the airport searching for fares.
“There’s no work (on) the streets anymore,” Blythe-Shaw said. “All the constant work is at the airport.”
Many cabdrivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Blythe-Shaw speculated that tiredness may have played a role in the crash. In 2013, a Boston Globe Spotlight series on the cab industry found that some overworked drivers slept in their vehicles at the taxi pool.
“This could have just been a very weary cabdriver,” she said.
Trooper Paul Sullivan, a State Police spokesman, declined to comment on whether exhaustion was an issue. He also declined to say whether the driver could face charges.
State Police said the driver’s name will not be released unless he is criminally charged.
Boston police Lieutenant Thomas Lema, who oversees the department’s hackney unit, declined to comment specifically about Monday’s crash, telling the investigation was being treated by the State Police.
Laura Oggeri, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, said by e-mail Monday that city officials, including Boston police and Emergency Medical Services, did not have data about the safety track record of taxis in the city.
But Logan has seen some notable taxi accidents in the past, including an incident in two thousand three when a traveler was killed by a cab that hopped the curb at a taxi stand outside baggage claim after a driver allegedly left a cab in drive as he stepped out of the vehicle.
And in 1997, a taxi driver lost his gams after he was struck by another taxi driver at the airport.
The incident also comes about two months after another professional driver — an employee at the Lynnway Auto Auction — killed five people in a crash at the site.
Car drives into group of pedestrians in E
Taxi injures cab drivers at Logan Airport in ‘tragic accident’
A taxi hopped a curb and barreled into a group of cabdrivers at Logan International Airport Monday, injuring ten people in what officials described as a “tragic accident.”
There is no information to suggest the crash at the taxi lot was intentional, and the State Police said the driver — a 56-year-old Cambridge man who works for Metro Cab — has been cooperative with investigators. His cab was seized for investigation.
“He is known to be a very nice gentleman to his peers,” State Police Major Frank McGinn said about the driver at a news conference. He has “no history of violations or anything.”
Taxi driver Jephtet Roseme, who witnessed the crash, said people were trapped under the cab as fellow drivers frantically attempted to help them.
One of the victims was earnestly injured, three others were “significantly” injured, while six were less gravely injured, McGinn said. The most gravely hurt cabdriver, a 43-year-old man from Cambridge, had violated gams and “maybe some internal chest injuries,” he said. He was in serious but stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to State Police.
Where cabbies wait for their next job
Many cab drivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Logan Airport has been increasingly busy in latest years.
It was not clear how quick the cab was going at the time of the crash, and with the investigation unfolding, officials suggested few details about the cause. Officials were examining the mechanics of the car, a computer system inwards the cab, and surveillance movie from the lot as part of the investigation, McGinn said. They will also interview witnesses.
McGinn said it was “still too early to know” if there were any mechanical issues with the vehicle. He also said it didn’t emerge the man had a medical problem but noted the investigation was just beginning.
Metro Cab did not react to calls or e-mails seeking comment.
The crash occurred at about 1:40 p.m. on the airport’s outskirts, at a massive asphalt lot where hundreds of cab drivers wait to be dispatched to airport terminals. At the head of the lot is a building with restrooms and a cafeteria. Outside the building, cab drivers often loosen at tables and chairs on a sidewalk terrace. That is where the crash occurred.
Abdias Pierre, a taxi driver, said cabbies often play cards and dominoes at the tables. “It’s all taxi drivers around here,” he said.
He said the driver involved in the crash has been around a long time, and Pierre did not believe the incident was deliberate.
The taxicab was visibly bruised at the site of the crash, its spandex hood crunched open and airbags deployed. It was surrounded by debris from the seating area.
Next to the seating area, a puny idolize center where drivers can plead via the day appeared to have been bruised. Nobody was inwards the center at the time of the accident, McGinn said.
The victims were taken to Mass. General, Tufts Medical Center, and other area hospitals, State Police said. Tufts said it cared for five patients, one of whom had been discharged by Monday evening, two of whom were listed in good condition, and two of whom were in serious condition.
Hamid Amri, another driver at the taxi lot, said Monday was a very slow day at the airport, so drivers were coerced to wait for hours.
Donna Blythe-Shaw, a former union representative for Boston taxi drivers who still advocates on their behalf, said that is an increasingly common circumstance at the Logan taxi pool. As more riders across the city turn to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers head to the airport searching for fares.
“There’s no work (on) the streets anymore,” Blythe-Shaw said. “All the constant work is at the airport.”
Many cabdrivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Blythe-Shaw speculated that weariness may have played a role in the crash. In 2013, a Boston Globe Spotlight series on the cab industry found that some overworked drivers slept in their vehicles at the taxi pool.
“This could have just been a very weary cabdriver,” she said.
Trooper Paul Sullivan, a State Police spokesman, declined to comment on whether tiredness was an issue. He also declined to say whether the driver could face charges.
State Police said the driver’s name will not be released unless he is criminally charged.
Boston police Lieutenant Thomas Lema, who oversees the department’s hackney unit, declined to comment specifically about Monday’s crash, telling the investigation was being treated by the State Police.
Laura Oggeri, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, said by e-mail Monday that city officials, including Boston police and Emergency Medical Services, did not have data about the safety track record of taxis in the city.
But Logan has seen some notable taxi accidents in the past, including an incident in two thousand three when a traveler was killed by a cab that leaped the curb at a taxi stand outside baggage claim after a driver allegedly left a cab in drive as he stepped out of the vehicle.
And in 1997, a taxi driver lost his gams after he was struck by another taxi driver at the airport.
The incident also comes about two months after another professional driver — an employee at the Lynnway Auto Auction — killed five people in a crash at the site.
Car drives into group of pedestrians in E
Taxi injures cab drivers at Logan Airport in ‘tragic accident’
A taxi hopped a curb and barreled into a group of cabdrivers at Logan International Airport Monday, injuring ten people in what officials described as a “tragic accident.”
There is no information to suggest the crash at the taxi lot was intentional, and the State Police said the driver — a 56-year-old Cambridge man who works for Metro Cab — has been cooperative with investigators. His cab was seized for investigation.
“He is known to be a very nice gentleman to his peers,” State Police Major Frank McGinn said about the driver at a news conference. He has “no history of violations or anything.”
Taxi driver Jephtet Roseme, who witnessed the crash, said people were trapped under the cab as fellow drivers frantically attempted to help them.
One of the victims was gravely injured, three others were “significantly” injured, while six were less gravely injured, McGinn said. The most earnestly hurt cabdriver, a 43-year-old man from Cambridge, had violated gams and “maybe some internal chest injuries,” he said. He was in serious but stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to State Police.
Where cabbies wait for their next job
Many cab drivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Logan Airport has been increasingly busy in latest years.
It was not clear how rapid the cab was going at the time of the crash, and with the investigation unfolding, officials suggested few details about the cause. Officials were examining the mechanics of the car, a computer system inwards the cab, and surveillance movie from the lot as part of the investigation, McGinn said. They will also interview witnesses.
McGinn said it was “still too early to know” if there were any mechanical issues with the vehicle. He also said it didn’t emerge the man had a medical problem but noted the investigation was just beginning.
Metro Cab did not react to calls or e-mails seeking comment.
The crash occurred at about 1:40 p.m. on the airport’s outskirts, at a massive asphalt lot where hundreds of cab drivers wait to be dispatched to airport terminals. At the head of the lot is a building with restrooms and a cafeteria. Outside the building, cab drivers often loosen at tables and chairs on a sidewalk terrace. That is where the crash occurred.
Abdias Pierre, a taxi driver, said cabbies often play cards and dominoes at the tables. “It’s all taxi drivers around here,” he said.
He said the driver involved in the crash has been around a long time, and Pierre did not believe the incident was deliberate.
The taxicab was visibly bruised at the site of the crash, its spandex hood crunched open and airbags deployed. It was surrounded by debris from the seating area.
Next to the seating area, a petite idolize center where drivers can plead across the day appeared to have been bruised. Nobody was inwards the center at the time of the accident, McGinn said.
The victims were taken to Mass. General, Tufts Medical Center, and other area hospitals, State Police said. Tufts said it cared for five patients, one of whom had been discharged by Monday evening, two of whom were listed in good condition, and two of whom were in serious condition.
Hamid Amri, another driver at the taxi lot, said Monday was a very slow day at the airport, so drivers were coerced to wait for hours.
Donna Blythe-Shaw, a former union representative for Boston taxi drivers who still advocates on their behalf, said that is an increasingly common circumstance at the Logan taxi pool. As more riders via the city turn to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers head to the airport searching for fares.
“There’s no work (on) the streets anymore,” Blythe-Shaw said. “All the sustained work is at the airport.”
Many cabdrivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Blythe-Shaw speculated that tiredness may have played a role in the crash. In 2013, a Boston Globe Spotlight series on the cab industry found that some overworked drivers slept in their vehicles at the taxi pool.
“This could have just been a very weary cabdriver,” she said.
Trooper Paul Sullivan, a State Police spokesman, declined to comment on whether exhaustion was an issue. He also declined to say whether the driver could face charges.
State Police said the driver’s name will not be released unless he is criminally charged.
Boston police Lieutenant Thomas Lema, who oversees the department’s hackney unit, declined to comment specifically about Monday’s crash, telling the investigation was being treated by the State Police.
Laura Oggeri, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, said by e-mail Monday that city officials, including Boston police and Emergency Medical Services, did not have data about the safety track record of taxis in the city.
But Logan has seen some notable taxi accidents in the past, including an incident in two thousand three when a traveler was killed by a cab that leaped the curb at a taxi stand outside baggage claim after a driver allegedly left a cab in drive as he stepped out of the vehicle.
And in 1997, a taxi driver lost his gams after he was struck by another taxi driver at the airport.
The incident also comes about two months after another professional driver — an employee at the Lynnway Auto Auction — killed five people in a crash at the site.
Car drives into group of pedestrians in E
Taxi injures cab drivers at Logan Airport in ‘tragic accident’
A taxi leaped a curb and barreled into a group of cabdrivers at Logan International Airport Monday, injuring ten people in what officials described as a “tragic accident.”
There is no information to suggest the crash at the taxi lot was intentional, and the State Police said the driver — a 56-year-old Cambridge man who works for Metro Cab — has been cooperative with investigators. His cab was seized for investigation.
“He is known to be a very nice gentleman to his peers,” State Police Major Frank McGinn said about the driver at a news conference. He has “no history of violations or anything.”
Taxi driver Jephtet Roseme, who witnessed the crash, said people were trapped under the cab as fellow drivers frantically attempted to help them.
One of the victims was earnestly injured, three others were “significantly” injured, while six were less earnestly injured, McGinn said. The most earnestly hurt cabdriver, a 43-year-old man from Cambridge, had violated gams and “maybe some internal chest injuries,” he said. He was in serious but stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to State Police.
Where cabbies wait for their next job
Many cab drivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Logan Airport has been increasingly busy in latest years.
It was not clear how quick the cab was going at the time of the crash, and with the investigation unfolding, officials suggested few details about the cause. Officials were examining the mechanics of the car, a computer system inwards the cab, and surveillance movie from the lot as part of the investigation, McGinn said. They will also interview witnesses.
McGinn said it was “still too early to know” if there were any mechanical issues with the vehicle. He also said it didn’t show up the man had a medical problem but noted the investigation was just beginning.
Metro Cab did not react to calls or e-mails seeking comment.
The crash occurred at about 1:40 p.m. on the airport’s outskirts, at a massive asphalt lot where hundreds of cab drivers wait to be dispatched to airport terminals. At the head of the lot is a building with restrooms and a cafeteria. Outside the building, cab drivers often loosen at tables and chairs on a sidewalk terrace. That is where the crash occurred.
Abdias Pierre, a taxi driver, said cabbies often play cards and dominoes at the tables. “It’s all taxi drivers around here,” he said.
He said the driver involved in the crash has been around a long time, and Pierre did not believe the incident was deliberate.
The taxicab was visibly bruised at the site of the crash, its rubber hood crunched open and airbags deployed. It was surrounded by debris from the seating area.
Next to the seating area, a petite idolize center where drivers can beg across the day appeared to have been bruised. Nobody was inwards the center at the time of the accident, McGinn said.
The victims were taken to Mass. General, Tufts Medical Center, and other area hospitals, State Police said. Tufts said it cared for five patients, one of whom had been discharged by Monday evening, two of whom were listed in good condition, and two of whom were in serious condition.
Hamid Amri, another driver at the taxi lot, said Monday was a very slow day at the airport, so drivers were coerced to wait for hours.
Donna Blythe-Shaw, a former union representative for Boston taxi drivers who still advocates on their behalf, said that is an increasingly common circumstance at the Logan taxi pool. As more riders via the city turn to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers head to the airport searching for fares.
“There’s no work (on) the streets anymore,” Blythe-Shaw said. “All the stable work is at the airport.”
Many cabdrivers work long hours — in some cases 16-hour shifts — and Blythe-Shaw speculated that weariness may have played a role in the crash. In 2013, a Boston Globe Spotlight series on the cab industry found that some overworked drivers slept in their vehicles at the taxi pool.
“This could have just been a very fatigued cabdriver,” she said.
Trooper Paul Sullivan, a State Police spokesman, declined to comment on whether tiredness was an issue. He also declined to say whether the driver could face charges.
State Police said the driver’s name will not be released unless he is criminally charged.
Boston police Lieutenant Thomas Lema, who oversees the department’s hackney unit, declined to comment specifically about Monday’s crash, telling the investigation was being treated by the State Police.
Laura Oggeri, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, said by e-mail Monday that city officials, including Boston police and Emergency Medical Services, did not have data about the safety track record of taxis in the city.
But Logan has seen some notable taxi accidents in the past, including an incident in two thousand three when a traveler was killed by a cab that hopped the curb at a taxi stand outside baggage claim after a driver allegedly left a cab in drive as he stepped out of the vehicle.
And in 1997, a taxi driver lost his gams after he was struck by another taxi driver at the airport.
The incident also comes about two months after another professional driver — an employee at the Lynnway Auto Auction — killed five people in a crash at the site.
