Dad of Two Died From Brain Injury After Clothing Caught in MBTA Escalator, Medical Examiner Finds
Massachusetts father Steven McCluskey died from an oxygen-deprivation brain injury after his clothing trapped and strangled him in a Davis Station escalator, officials found.
A medical examiner has determined that Steven McCluskey, a 40-year-old Massachusetts father of two, died after his clothing became trapped in an escalator and tightened around his neck, cutting off oxygen and blood flow to his brain.
The ruling provides the clearest official account yet of what killed McCluskey following the February incident at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Davis Station in Somerville. His death was classified as accidental, with blunt-force injuries identified as a contributing factor.
The findings also settle a painful question for McCluskey’s family, which had watched strangers speculate about his condition and the circumstances of his death. They do not, however, close the broader questions surrounding the station’s response, the actions of passing commuters and the more than 20 minutes that elapsed before the escalator was stopped.
Medical Examiner Links Steven McCluskey’s Death to Strangulation
McCluskey’s death certificate lists his cause of death as “hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy following asphyxia by strangulation.” In simpler terms, his clothing restricted his airway and circulation after becoming caught in the moving escalator, depriving his brain of the oxygenated blood it needed to function.
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy occurs when the brain receives insufficient oxygen and blood. Although the condition is frequently discussed in connection with newborn complications, it can also affect adults following emergencies such as drowning or strangulation. Severe oxygen deprivation can cause irreversible brain damage or death.
Dr. Knarik Arkun, director of neuropathology and autopsy service at Tufts Medical Center, told NBC10 Boston that speed is critical during this type of emergency.
“The longer the brain suffers a no-oxygen injury, the harder it is to recover,” Arkun said.
The medical examiner also identified blunt-force trauma as a contributing condition. McCluskey had lost his balance and fallen as he reached the bottom of the escalator, according to surveillance footage reviewed by local investigators. His clothing then became lodged in the equipment, leaving him unable to stand or free himself.
Surveillance Video Reveals a 22-Minute Davis Station Emergency.
When we reconstruct the timeline, the scale of the delay becomes difficult to ignore.
McCluskey entered the Davis Square station shortly before 5 a.m. on February 27 and rode an escalator toward the Red Line platform. As he approached the bottom, the video showed him losing his balance and falling. He struggled after his clothes became trapped, but eventually stopped moving.
More than a dozen passengers came through the area during the following minutes. Some appeared not to recognize the seriousness of the situation. Others paused or looked toward McCluskey before continuing. At one point, a man briefly pulled on his legs but was unable to release him.
Approximately 18 minutes after McCluskey fell, a passenger called 911 and reported seeing a man lying with his head near the bottom step. The caller could not determine whether he was breathing. More than 22 minutes had passed by the time an MBTA employee arrived, pressed the emergency stop button, and began seeking additional assistance.
Firefighters and emergency medical workers found McCluskey without a pulse and with clothing pulled tightly around his neck. Rescue personnel spent more than 30 minutes freeing him from the machinery before he could be transported to a hospital. His pulse was restored, but he remained critically injured and died on March 9, 10 days after the incident.
Escalator specialist Robert Cotton, who previously managed escalator infrastructure for Bay Area Rapid Transit, told NBC10 Boston that the length of the delay was unacceptable. He said an obvious emergency involving moving equipment should have triggered an immediate response.
Family Condemns Bystander Inaction and Online Speculation
McCluskey’s relatives have expressed grief not only over his death but also over the number of people who passed through the station before meaningful help arrived.
His sister, Shannon Flaherty, said that seeing the surveillance footage damaged her faith in strangers’ willingness to help one another.
“I have never had such a lack of faith in humanity ever,” she said.
Flaherty said her brother remained unconscious and unable to call for assistance while his clothes tightened around him. She argued that no person in visible distress should remain beside moving machinery for 18 minutes before someone calls emergency services.
McCluskey’s mother, Mary Flaherty, described him as a devoted parent and skilled carpenter who operated a home-improvement business.
“He loved building things. He loved his children and loved being a dad,” she said.
The family had publicly acknowledged that McCluskey experienced substance-use problems in the years before his death. However, Shannon Flaherty criticized online commenters who assumed, without official evidence, that an overdose had killed him. The medical examiner’s findings now identify strangulation, oxygen deprivation and related injuries as the cause.
That distinction matters. We can acknowledge a person’s struggles without allowing them to erase the documented circumstances of his death or diminish his value as a father, brother and son.
MBTA Says Escalator Showed No Mechanical Problems
MBTA General Manager Phil Eng called the incident a tragedy and said the agency reviewed what occurred. According to Eng, workers inspected the escalator after the rescue, found no mechanical problems, and returned it to service. That finding addresses whether investigators detected an obvious malfunction, but it does not answer every question about emergency monitoring, staffing, or the response time.
Eng said the employee responsible for opening Davis Station had clocked in at 4:45 a.m. and was completing a list of morning tasks. He also said additional staffing would not necessarily ensure that an employee would be stationed beside a particular escalator during an emergency.
The MBTA has emphasized that emergency stop buttons are positioned at the top and bottom of its escalators. Passengers who see someone trapped should press the red STOP button and immediately call 911.
Eng urged riders to alert transit workers and help others in distress.
“Help one another. Speak up. Let us know, alert us to it,” he said.
Following public attention surrounding McCluskey’s death, the transit agency began displaying safety messages warning passengers about loose clothing and showing them where escalator emergency buttons are located.
MBTA Escalator Injuries Add Wider Safety Context
Records obtained by NBC10 Boston showed more than 250 escalator-related injuries at MBTA stations from the beginning of 2025 through mid-May 2026. Sixty-seven of those incidents resulted in passengers being taken for medical treatment.
Those figures cover many types of incidents and do not mean every injury involved entrapment or an equipment defect. Falls are among the most common escalator injuries nationwide. Still, the records demonstrate why passengers must understand that emergency stop buttons are intended for public use when someone is in immediate danger.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises riders to face forward, hold the handrail, remain near the center of the step, and avoid the sides where shoes or clothing may become trapped. Riders should secure loose items, tie their shoes before boarding, and identify the location of emergency shutoff buttons.
In a genuine emergency, passengers should not assume another person has already taken action. One individual should stop the machinery while another calls 911 and alerts station staff. Nobody should attempt a dangerous rescue involving moving equipment while the escalator remains powered.
Oversight Investigation Examines MBTA Reporting Failure
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, which oversees MBTA rail safety, reportedly did not learn of McCluskey’s death until NBC10 Boston published its investigation in May. State and federal rules require qualifying fatalities inside stations or on transit railways to be reported to oversight authorities within two hours.
MBTA officials said McCluskey had regained a pulse and was transported from the station alive. Eng later explained that the agency was not informed when he died at the hospital. He said the MBTA would need to improve how it obtains follow-up information and communicates it to regulators.
After learning of the death, the DPU opened an investigation and directed the MBTA to develop a corrective action plan addressing gaps in its tracking and reporting of injuries that later become fatalities. As of July 15, the DPU investigation remained active, and the MBTA had submitted a corrective action plan concerning fatality reporting.
The medical examiner’s ruling answers the central medical question. Steven McCluskey died because the clothing caught in the escalator strangled him, causing catastrophic oxygen deprivation to his brain. The remaining investigations must determine whether institutional practices, reporting systems, or emergency procedures require further changes.
The tragedy should not be remembered solely for the people who walked past. It should also serve as a direct public warning: stop the machinery, call for help, and treat an unconscious stranger as an emergency before precious minutes disappear.
