Drawbridge Operator Accused Of Drinking On Job Resigns
Mayor Calls Incident 'Unacceptable'
POSTED: 6:04 pm EDT August 17, 2009
UPDATED: 6:41 pm EDT August 17, 2009
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BOSTON -- An operator of the Meridian Street drawbridge in East Boston who was accused of being drunk on the job has resigned.
NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported Monday that Robert Finn, who was suspended earlier in the day, has a litany of alcohol-related charges on his record.Officers were dispatched to the Andrew P. McArdle Bridge at about 4 p.m. on Saturday when a tugboat trying to pass underneath the structure notified police that it was unable to make contact with the drawbridge operator, according to Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes.The tugboat driver told police that he radioed ahead to have the bridge raised, but received no response from the operator. The driver said he then blew his horn and rang a bell when he arrived at the bridge, but still received no response.Officers traveled to the bridge for a well-being check and allegedly found Robert E. Finn, 49, “in a state of intoxication,” at his monitoring station."It is unacceptable," Mayor Tom Menino said. "It is unacceptable to me and anyone in the city of Boston. They will have an administrative hearing as quickly as possible."According to Finn's Registry of Motor Vehicles record, he has been convicted of drunken driving three times. He lost his license for four years in 1999.Safety experts said system failures like this situation at vulnerable public locations are dangerous."Transporting oil and gas is a high-hazard activity because if something goes wrong in the management system -- the safety management system -- there can be catastrophic damage and death," Boston University Law School professor Michael Barum said.
NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported Monday that Robert Finn, who was suspended earlier in the day, has a litany of alcohol-related charges on his record.Officers were dispatched to the Andrew P. McArdle Bridge at about 4 p.m. on Saturday when a tugboat trying to pass underneath the structure notified police that it was unable to make contact with the drawbridge operator, according to Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes.The tugboat driver told police that he radioed ahead to have the bridge raised, but received no response from the operator. The driver said he then blew his horn and rang a bell when he arrived at the bridge, but still received no response.Officers traveled to the bridge for a well-being check and allegedly found Robert E. Finn, 49, “in a state of intoxication,” at his monitoring station."It is unacceptable," Mayor Tom Menino said. "It is unacceptable to me and anyone in the city of Boston. They will have an administrative hearing as quickly as possible."According to Finn's Registry of Motor Vehicles record, he has been convicted of drunken driving three times. He lost his license for four years in 1999.Safety experts said system failures like this situation at vulnerable public locations are dangerous."Transporting oil and gas is a high-hazard activity because if something goes wrong in the management system -- the safety management system -- there can be catastrophic damage and death," Boston University Law School professor Michael Barum said. Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
