A harrowing scene of a car hanging perilously over the edge of the Alewife parking garage from earlier this year can now be seen in a new video released to the public. The footage detailing the February incident, which seriously injured a teenage girl, shows the car crashing through a concrete barrier before getting caught on the structure's side. According to CBS News Boston, the concrete from the barrier broke off and fell through a glass roof, striking a 14-year-old girl below.
The driver, Sonny Khubchandani, initially faced charges, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and operating to endanger. Prosecutors, however, have since chosen to dismiss these charges on the condition that Khubchandani agree to receive mental health treatment. This decision prompted some controversial responses, questioning the overlap of mental health issues with criminal accountability.
Following the crash, the WCVB reports that a shutdown of the garage and a suspension of service on part of the MBTA's Red Line were necessary. The released MBTA surveillance video graphically illustrates the debris crashing down, with a 10,000-pound slab of concrete shattering the glass panels above the lobby, resulting in injuries to the young girl.
The aftermath of the incident raised concerns over the structural integrity of similar parking facilities and the unforeseen hazards they could present to the public. Khubchandani was slapped with eight counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, in addition to operating to endanger, but these charges were conditionally dropped by prosecutors. The case reaching a close with the emphasis on mental health treatment rather than incarceration speaks to a broader dialogue on how society addresses the intersection of mental health with the justice system.
