Crime & Safety

MBTA Driver Who Swerved Off Local Overpass Won't Get License Back

Shanna Shaw, 43, of Mattapan, was fired and her license was suspended after the May 18 crash.

The MBTA bus driver who authorities said drove off a Newton overpass while she was using her cell phone—injuring eight people in the process—will not get her license back after a state board rejected her request.

Shanna Shaw, 43, of Mattapan, was fired and her license was suspended after the May 18 crash. She claimed the crash happened because she sneezed from allergies.

She asked the Division of Insurance Board of Appeal to reinstate her license so she could "run errands for her children, drive to doctor’s appointments, and commute to a new job," the Boston Globe reported. The board denied her request, according to the Globe.

Shaw was charged with speeding, operating to endanger, impeded operation, and obstruction of justice.

The crash happened on an overpass spanning the Massachusetts Turnpike. The bus slammed through a guardrail and the front end was hanging off the overpass.

The MBTA has a policy that prohibits drivers from using cell phones.

None of the injuries were serious.


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