MBTA bus sideswipes multiple cars in the South End

Transit Police said 10 vehicles were left with damage that ranged from cosmetic to minor.

An MBTA bus sideswiped several parked cars in the South End Tuesday night after the bus’s rear maintenance panel flung open due to a faulty safety latch, officials said.

According to MBTA Transit Police, the bus driver was heading down Malden Street en route to the T’s Albany Street garage when the incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. A preliminary investigation suggests the driver was going at a safe speed and traveling within the marked lanes at the time, Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said in a statement.

At some point, the safety latch on the bus’s rear maintenance panel failed, causing the panel to open, he explained. As the bus continued down Malden Street, the panel was open enough that it struck several parked vehicles.

According to Sullivan, 10 vehicles sustained damage that ranged in severity from cosmetic to minor. There were no reported injuries, he said.

The MBTA has since removed the bus from service for a thorough examination, according to Sullivan. He said Transit Police officers investigated the incident and “made all efforts” to notify impacted vehicle owners.

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.