Local News

Steven McCluskey died in March after a freak escalator accident at the MBTA’s Davis Station.

By Abby Patkin

May 19, 2026 | 3:54 PM

3 minutes to read

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Months after Steven McCluskey died following a freak escalator accident at the MBTA’s Davis Station, the South Boston man’s family says they’re left with more questions than answers.

The 40-year-old father of two fell at the bottom of an escalator at Davis shortly before 5 a.m. on Feb. 27, his clothing becoming trapped in the machinery, according to the T. The agency said one of its Red Line employees ultimately brought the escalator to a stop, and the Somerville Fire Department rushed McCluskey to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he died more than a week later. 

But footage obtained by The Boston Globe paints a fuller picture of the perplexing scene. According to the video, the escalator wasn’t stopped until 5:21 a.m. — more than 20 minutes after McCluskey fell. The footage also shows several early-morning T riders passing by McCluskey, most of them seemingly doing nothing to help. 

“I’ll be honest, I have never had such a lack of faith in humanity ever,” McCluskey’s sister, Shannon Flaherty, told the Globe. “It has completely changed the perspective I have on people and human behavior. It is, for lack of a better word, despicable. I just can’t believe that so many people had the same inclination to just walk by.”

First responders noted in an MBTA Transit Police report that McCluskey’s clothing was “tightly lodged” in the escalator, his shirt constricting his neck and compromising his airway, according to the Globe. He reportedly regained a pulse after multiple rounds of CPR, though he ultimately died March 9. 

In his obituary, McCluskey’s family remembered him for his “stubborn spirit, quick sense of humor, and deeply caring heart.”

A “talented carpenter” and dedicated father of two sons, “he had a way of talking with people for hours, sharing stories, offering advice, and helping however he could,” according to the obituary. “If something needed fixing or someone needed support, Steven was often the person people turned to.”

McCluskey’s death and the video of his fall were first reported by NBC10 Boston. A spokesperson for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office said an investigation into the Feb. 27 incident is still open pending a ruling on McCluskey’s cause and manner of death. 

According to the MBTA, the T official on duty at Davis that morning started the station’s escalators up at the beginning of the day and found them all to be functioning safely and properly. The T employee then went off to complete the rest of their opening duties, the agency said.

The escalator was taken out of service for an inspection immediately after McCluskey’s fall, but inspectors found no issues or defects, according to the T.

“This was a terrible accident,” the agency said in a statement. “It is important that the public knows that anyone can stop an escalator in an emergency by pressing the red button labeled ‘STOP’ at the top and bottom of each escalator. They should also then immediately call 911. MBTA personnel respond swiftly to all emergencies and do everything they can to assist individuals and secure the situation.”

Speaking to NBC10 Boston last week, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng called McCluskey’s death a “tragedy.” 

“Safety, reliability of the system, is paramount,” he told the news outlet.

“This is where we need the public to support us,” Eng added. “Help one another. Speak up. Let us know, alert us to it. That’s the way we can not only make sure riders are safe, but one day, you might need that help.”

Flaherty told NBC10 she wants to know why her brother’s death wasn’t prevented.

“Where was security? Where were the red coats (MBTA transit ambassadors) that are supposed to be on all the floors from the time it opens to the time it closes?” she demanded. “How, at a busy train station, does nobody stop, nobody see him?”