MBTA Bus Driver Charged For Thursday Morning Incident

MBTA Bus Driver Lataria Milton, 34, of Somerville was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and reckless operation of a motor vehicle on Friday, August 10,

According to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Transit Police responded to a report of a multi-vehicle collision. A 65 Bus had struck a 44-year-old Parking Enforcement Officer who was trying to ticket the bus for parking illegally in Kenmore Square.

The Parking Enforcement Officer instructed Milton to move, but Milton allegedly ignored the victim, opting to eat breakfast inside the parked bus. According to the victim’s story, Milton started the bus and drove around the Parking Enforcement van.

When the victim attempted to put the ticket on the bus window, Milton accelerated, striking the victim. The Parking Enforcement Officer was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The bus collided with a Subaru, which crashed into another vehicle. None of the occupants were injured, but the Subaru had to be towed due to the damage I had sustained.

Milton claimed that the bus spontaneously rolled forward while the victim attempted to ticket the window. Mechanics from the MBTA and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities inspected the vehicle and found no evidence of break failure or defects. Milton was arrested and will return to court on October 16.