Rusted staircase near JFK/UMass station removed following Boston University professor's death
David Jones fell to his death on Sept. 11
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Updated: 6:14 PM EDT Sep 20, 2021
REPORTER: SOME OF THE RIDERS I SPOKE WITH AT THE UMASS/JFK STOP SAY THEY NOTICED THIS MORNING, THE STAIRS WERE NE.GO BLACK FENCING SURROUNDS THE CONCTERE PADS, RUSTY BOLTS THE ONLY THINGS LEFT. >> BEFORE THEY WERE GONE, THEY WERE ALWAYS REALLY RUS.TY REPORTER: MBTA RIDERS DESCRIBING THE RECENTLY-REMOVED STAIRCASE, AS UNSE.AF >> IT KIND OF LOOKED OLD AND RUSTY IN A WAY. SO IT ISOT N TOO SAFE FOR ANYONE TO CLIMB ON IT. REPORTER: SOME SAYING THE STAIRS DIDN’T LOOK STURDY. >> AND THERE WERE THIN GAPS INBETWEEN THSTAIE RS. IN THE MIDDLE, PROBABLY LIKE 5 AISTRS, THEY WERARE RESTED. REPORTER: ASIWE TAKES THE TRAIN EVERYDAY, NEVER PAYING MUCH ATTENTION TO THE STAIRCASE UNTIL EARLIER THIS MONTH WHEN INVESTIGATORS SAY BOSTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR DAVID JONES DIED WHILE ON A RUN, BELIVED TO HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE STEPS. >> BUT I WAS LIKE, THAT’S CRAZY ATTH THE SAME TRAIN STATION I MET, SOMEBODY FELL TO THEIR DEATH AT. REPORTER: STATE POLICE SAY THE STAIRWAY LEADING FROM THE COLUMBIA ROAD OVERPASS, TO OLD COLONY AVE, HAD BEEN DEEMED UNSAFE. CLOSED ABOUT 20 MONTHS AND BLOCKED AT BOTH THE TOP AND BO TTOM. >> IT IS A LOT SAFER NOW IT JUST DOESN’T GIVE PEOPLE THE IDEA TO TRY TO GO UP THERE. REPORTER: NOW, MORE TN HAA EKWE SINCE JONES’ DEATH, THE STAIRS ARE GONE. NEW FENCING STANDS OUT, MARKING THE SPOT WHERE THEY USED TO ,BE GIVING SOME MBTA RIDERS, PEACE OF MIND, SOMETHING LIKE THIS WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN. >> I AM GLAD THEY TOOK THAT WNDO BECAUSEHE T SAME THING COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE. INTO A GOOD IDEA THEY TOOK IT DOWN. REPORT:ER AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING INTO WHETHER THE STAIRWAY WAS PROPERLY BLOCKE
Rusted staircase near JFK/UMass station removed following Boston University professor's death
David Jones fell to his death on Sept. 11
![WCVB logo]()
Updated: 6:14 PM EDT Sep 20, 2021
The rusty staircase adjacent to JFK/UMass station, where a Boston University professor died in a fall earlier this month, has been removed. David Jones, 40, fell through the rusted staircase on Sept. 11. Investigators said Jones was running in the area when the fatal accident occurred. When it was in use, the staircase led from Old Colony Avenue up to the Columbia Road overpass. It was deemed unsafe more than a year before Jones' death. Photos of the area taken after the fatal fall showed several stairs were missing. As of Monday morning, the stairs were removed. The fence beside Columbia Road was patched and all that remained were some rusty bolts sticking out of a concrete pad alongside Old Colony Avenue. Jones was a father, husband and associate professor in BU's department of health law, policy and management.
BOSTON — The rusty staircase adjacent to JFK/UMass station, where a Boston University professor died in a fall earlier this month, has been removed.
David Jones, 40, fell through the rusted staircase on Sept. 11. Investigators said Jones was running in the area when the fatal accident occurred.
When it was in use, the staircase led from Old Colony Avenue up to the Columbia Road overpass. It was deemed unsafe more than a year before Jones' death.
Photos of the area taken after the fatal fall showed several stairs were missing.
Hearst Owned
Damaged staircase as seen after Jones’ fatal fall.
As of Monday morning, the stairs were removed. The fence beside Columbia Road was patched and all that remained were some rusty bolts sticking out of a concrete pad alongside Old Colony Avenue.
Jones was a father, husband and associate professor in BU's department of health law, policy and management.
