Trolley driver acquitted of negligence during 2021 Green Line collision

A jury has acquitted a MBTA Green Line driver of any wrongdoing stemming from a 2021 crash, when the trolley he was operating slammed into another in front of him.

Owen Turner, 51, was charged with negligence after the crash, which left dozens of people injured and touched off a National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

Turner told investigators he may have fallen asleep moments before the collision. Investigators found no evidence that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol that day.

The crash occurred on Commonwealth Avenue, near the Agganis Arena, in July 2021. More than two dozen people were hurt in the crash. Investigators determined Turner's trolley was traveling at 31 mph when it crunched into the trolley in front of it.

In a report released last week, federal investigators concluded the crash was caused by excessive speed and the Turner's "lack of situational awareness."

It also faulted the MBTA for dragging its feet in installing an automated system that would detect and prevent on-track collisions between vehicles. In the report, the NTSB said the system, which T officials said they would implement by 2023, was now scheduled to be installed by 2025. Federal authorities recommended the anti-collision technology to the T more than a decade ago, according to the report.

Turner worked for the MBTA for seven years.