A horrifying surveillance video has revealed the final moments of a Massachusetts father-of-two who died in a freak escalator accident while dozens of people reportedly walked past without stopping to help.
Steven McCluskey, a 40-year-old carpenter, suffered fatal injuries after falling at the bottom of an escalator at Davis Station in Somerville on February 27 just before 5 a.m.
Newly released footage from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority appears to show more than a dozen commuters passing by McCluskey as he struggled to free himself from the machine.
At one point, one man allegedly paused and watched for several moments before simply turning around and walking away.
According to reports, McCluskey lost his balance while stepping off the escalator, causing part of his coat to become trapped inside the machinery.
The disturbing footage reportedly shows him desperately trying to unzip his jacket and pull himself loose as the escalator continued pulling the fabric deeper into the machine.
As the material tightened around his neck, it slowly restricted his airway.
Moments later, McCluskey collapsed motionless at the bottom of the escalator.
It reportedly took more than 20 minutes before an employee finally arrived and shut the escalator down.
When first responders arrived, police said McCluskey was found pinned at the bottom of the machine.
Authorities described him as “unresponsive, bare-chested and his clothing was tightly lodged within the escalator steps.”
One officer reportedly said he checked McCluskey for a pulse and found none.
Firefighters administered Narcan and performed multiple rounds of CPR before McCluskey briefly began breathing again.
He was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he remained in a coma for 10 days before dying from his injuries on March 9.
McCluskey’s family said the hardworking carpenter leaves behind two young sons, Shayne and Steven.
According to his obituary, he “loved creating things” and took pride in his work, but above all, “loved being a father to his two sons, who meant the world to him.”
His sister, Shannon Flaherty, told NBC Boston that McCluskey had struggled with drug addiction in recent years but worked every day to be there for the people he loved.
“He did his best every single day to show up for the people that he loved in the ways that he could,” she said.
The MBTA later called the incident a “terrible accident” and urged riders to use emergency stop buttons located at the top and bottom of escalators if they ever see someone in danger.
“It is important that the public knows that anyone can stop an escalator in an emergency by pressing the red button labeled ‘STOP,’” the agency said.
McCluskey’s family is now calling on the transit agency to “take accountability” for the tragedy.
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate the case.
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