Massachusetts College Professor Hit and Killed by MBTA Commuter Train
(Beverly, Massachusetts – October 22, 2019)
A popular Associate Professor of Journalism at Emerson College in Beverly, MA, was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital after his bicycle was struck by an outbound Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter passenger train. The collision occurred at an unguarded but legal pedestrian cut/through crossing at the Beverly MBTA station about 8:20 AM, EDT Tuesday.
The professor, Moses Shumow, was legally using one of three unguarded pedestrian grade crossings at the Beverly depot, owned and operated by the MBTA. Tragically none of the three pedestrian crossings are equipped with any electronic safety devices like flashing lights or crossing gates
MBTA operates a daily average of 68 rail commuter trains through the double-track station area. Express movements, which do not stop, are allowed to run through the depot trackage at a speed as high as 70 mph. It is almost certain that the victim, who leaves a wife, Rose, and three young children, was never aware of the oncoming high speed train until it was too late to take evasive action.
Although a double-degreed graduate of Emerson himself, Shumow had just begun his employment with the school this semester. He spent more than a decade at other institutions of higher learning as he produced documentary films and made for TV productions for Discovery and The History Channel, among others. The Emerson College community was mourning the loss of the accomplished and revered professor.
