Recent Grad Killed by MBTA Train

Joshua Stimson, 22, struck near Fenway station

October 25, 2010
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A recent graduate of the School of Management was found dead early yesterday morning on the eastbound tracks of the MBTA’s Green D Line between the Fenway and Longwood stations.

Joshua Stimson (SMG’10), who graduated in September, was apparently hit by an outbound train, according to an MBTA spokesperson. The Boston Globe reports that Stimson’s body was found at a spot where the tracks are fenced on both sides. He was pronounced dead at the scene at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

The MBTA Transit Police are investigating the death.

Stimson, 22, who was originally from North Haverhill, N.H., was a resident of Brighton. He was a past president of the paintball club and a member of the ski club.

Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore calls the death a terrible tragedy and a painful reminder of the need to look after each other and take care of our personal safety.

“It is very sad whenever we lose any member of our community,” says Elmore. “Our hearts go out to his family.”

Students and staff can find counseling with Marsh Chapel chaplains and at Student Health Services. Chaplains can be reached at 617-353-3560. To speak to an SHS counselor, call 617-353-3575. A 24-hour counseling hotline is available at 617-353-3569.

Information about memorial services will be published on BU Today as information becomes available.

Art Jahnke can be reached at jahnke@bu.edu.

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  • Art Jahnke

    Senior Contributing Editor

    Art Janke

    Art Jahnke began his career at the Real Paper, a Boston area alternative weekly. He has worked as a writer and editor at Boston Magazine, web editorial director at CXO Media, and executive editor in Marketing & Communications at Boston University, where his work was honored with many awards. Profile

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Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 24 comments on Recent Grad Killed by MBTA Train

  1. Dear Dean Kenny E,

    When will YOU look out for student and people’s safety and start looking at a few bridges over Comm Ave, or maybe a tunnel like UVM has?

    It amazes me that someone is not hit each day at the BU campus.

    Let’s see how long it takes to spend some of the BU cash on Student/people safety – aside from the norm of spending -“Think outside the box Kenny E!!”

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  2. I believe there are signs that say “Stop, look for train” posted at every crossing on Comm. Ave, yet people still walk across without looking. All you have to do is look at the signal and see if the train has the right of way or not. It’s unfortunate that someone got killed, but when you have people taking chances crossing on a green light every day, it doesn’t surprise me that people would walk out in front of the train as well.

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  4. Build a bridge – read the article again, this didn’t take place anywhere near Comm Ave. When you’re suggesting someone should think “outside the box”, can you at least be talking about the correct box?

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  5. As unfortunate as it is, this kid had no business being on the tracks at that location. That’s what happens when you wander onto train tracks. I hope they dont slow down trains on the D line, as they have on the B line to 10mph.

    As to the build a bridge poster, I cross Comm Ave every day and I have no problems. I have classes located from the east end all they way to the other end. If students pay attention and cross when they have the right of way and at stop lights and dont try to run across in front of a moving train there will be no issue. BU does not need to waste its money building bridges or tunnels on Comm Ave, there are a lot of areas BU can spend this money on.

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  6. You do realize this was on the D line, right? Or did you not read the article? Being as familiar as you must be with BU, you would know that only the B line runs directly through what most would consider the campus proper.

    This has more to do with human error or bad judgment than an inherent safety problem for the students.

    As for imploring Dean Elmore to “start looking at” your proposed construction projects…Student Affairs doesn’t build bridges and tunnels. You’re better off aiming at EVP Mercurio.

    And just to drive it home one more time…this DIDN’T happen on campus.

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  8. Come on, now. Build bridges? The real question is why was this poor young man in an area that was fenced in on both sides. However, I will agree with you on the amazement that more people aren’t hit every day, but that has more to do with the way students and people cross a street and pay attention to what’s going on around them than any need for bridges.

    My sympathies to those who knew him.

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  9. The Dean can’t look out for all of you geniuses out there. How drunk or high do you have to be to get hit by a train? Wake up people! As for Comm ave, show a little patience people. They are called CROSSWALKS, use them! Not texting or talking on the phone or being in a world of your own listening to the ipod while crossing Comm ave isn’t a smart idea either!

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  10. This is a very horrible and sad event. At the same time, when talking about self-safety, there should be more education about that. When I am driving to BU, tons of students cross the street in front of my car and the subway, when we have the green light, as if there is no tomorrow. And sometimes there isn’t…

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  12. I was once almost crashed by the T and I know how scary it is……The trains in Boston are really old and there are no automatic doors or fences in the waiting area..BU should give some money to help build a bridge or something rather than spending money on other events..Hope other students will pay attention when crossing the road or when waiting for the T..

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  13. We are losing a human being’s life here! Ok maybe the student is drunk but if we are having a train that’s safe, such things would never happen. Think about how scary it is when you are crossing the road and you have to be worried whether you gonna be crashed by a T. Every year at least one or two students die because of the T. We already know this thing is happening and can’t we do something to stop it? We pay such a high tuition at BU and we don’t have the basic right to ensure our safety?? Building a bridge is much better than spending money on other events! What else is gonna matter if we are dead!?

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  14. I am also saddened by the news of this boys death…but we have to realize that it is not up to the Dean or BU in general to make the train tracks more safe.. if anything, it would be the MBTA! but either way, this has nothing to do with the Dean, BU or the MBTA. I am not going to jump to conclusion about why this boy was on the train tracks in a fenced area.. but what we need to learn from this is to pay attention to our surroundings and to stop feeling so immortal!

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  15. Coming from two of josh’s closest friends we do not believe that this was an act of drunken negligence. Josh was a social drinker and liked to have a good time like any college kid on a Saturday night. We must question whether some foul play was involved. This was a freak accident, and hopefully we can get to the bottom of all this.

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  16. That is definitely the case. I feel like people here don’t realize that ultimately, laws don’t keep people safe. In Europe, pedestrians don’t have the “Right of Way”; if you step off of the curb, your life is your responsibility. This “we, as pedestrians, have the right of way” mentality is the cause of most pedestrian related accidents. I’m not saying that this is what happened with Josh…. I just think the irrational people talking about building pedestrian bridges over such a short span should start taking a little more personal responsibility.

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  17. Again! This tragedy occurred on the D branch of the Green Line, not the B branch on Comm Ave! It occurred in a fenced off area where NO ONE, drunk or sober, is supposed to be.

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  18. Some of the comments on here are absolutely appalling. The fact is a very young, generous, kind man died unexpectedly. He was young and this was so sudden. He didn’t deserve this. Everyone of us has made stupid mistakes such as not crossing at a crosswalk or the right place on train tracks! We all have also had fun nights out with friends. This was an average night that ended in an enormous tragedy, and all we can do now is mourn his loss and pray for his friends and family.

    R.I.P. Josh

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  19. I believe people need to be a little more considerate of this young man’s life. It is a horrible tragedy. We don’t need to be putting him down or anything. Our condolences go out to the Stimson family.

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  21. Noone will ever know what really happened unless they were there. My heart goes out to Josh’s family. As a parent I am hearbroken and sick about this. I pray that God will give them the strength they need to get though this horribly difficult time.

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  22. Reading some of these comments is sickening. You people should be ashamed. I knew Josh and he is an extremely smart guy. There must have been something going on for him to be within the fenced area. He isn’t a dumb drunk or high…and to jump to these conclusions is unfair. Not to mention, it is not your position to judge others; especially those that you do not know. It was a waste of a life. What happened to compassion?

    To his family, I can’t even begin to imagine the pain that you must be going through. My prayers are with you. This is just too sad for words. Josh will never be forgotten and always in the hearts of those that loved him.

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  23. This happend on the D line..not on comm ave which is the B line. On the D line there is no pesdetrian nor autombile traffic access..it is a restricted right of way..meaning the the train travles along tracks that are fenced in & protected from such public acess…..it has nothing to do with cross walks, bridges or anything else.. most strecthes between stations are wooded and the tracks are fence protected…if the kid was smart enuff to grad from BU he should have been smart enuff to stay out of a regulated..restricted track area. If the Dean has any resonsibilty here..it’s to teach his students that if U get hit by a train, U will die so stay off the tracks! (This common sense lesson can be worth the price of tutuion alone!)

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