An incident at the Vine City MARTA station in Atlanta following a Beyoncé concert has left multiple people injured, prompting scrutiny towards the transit agency’s safety measures and crowd control strategies.
On Tuesday, Ashley Black, the woman most seriously injured during the chaotic event, spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution while recovering at Grady Hospital. She expressed her belief that MARTA could have done more to ensure the safety of its riders, stating, “It was so preventable.”
The incident occurred late on the final night of Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tour, where it was reported that at least 11 individuals had sustained injuries. While some witnesses characterized the event as a “stampede,” others were hesitant to use such terminology due to varying perceptions of the incident’s scale.
MARTA typically allocates additional staff for large events, including concerts, to manage crowd sizes and maintain the flow of foot traffic. However, this incident follows previous criticisms regarding MARTA’s preparedness for large gatherings, including during the recent Peachtree Road Race and a concert by pop star Shakira.
MARTA officials have not yet provided clarification on the nature of the incident or the criticisms surrounding their crowd management. A spokesperson stated that the entire incident is under investigation but referred technical questions about the malfunctioning escalator to the manufacturer.
According to MARTA, the escalator malfunction was triggered when someone allegedly screamed, causing a rush that led to a temporary acceleration and subsequent abrupt stop of the escalator. This led to a pile-up of individuals at the bottom of the escalator, with witnesses noting chaos as people struggled to regain their balance.
Video footage from passengers at the station shows the escalator operating rapidly while concertgoers clung to the handrails. As the escalator abruptly halted, many rushed to assist those who had fallen, immediately after the incident unfolded. Multiple bystanders were seen helping an injured woman, with one person urging, “grab a hand, we got you.”
Black herself was trapped under the fallen crowd at the base of the escalator and feared suffocation as she struggled to get free. Thankfully, others assisted her in standing, and she was able to reach a nearby bench. It was only upon sitting that she realized the severity of her injuries. Black recalled looking at her leg in shock, exclaiming, “Is that my bone?”
Another helpful concertgoer, who happened to be a nurse, quickly improvised by using her bandanna to tie up Black’s leg to stem the bleeding. Despite these efforts, Black noted that it took quite some time for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to arrive, during which her friends even contemplated calling an Uber to take her to the hospital.
Later footage recorded by a passerby shows EMTs on site, but the platform remained crowded with injured individuals. Reports depicted chaotic scenes, as some attendees sought water for those who were vomiting while others assisted people lying on the ground. Black described being laid on a bench while receiving attention from the EMTs who informed her that traffic congested their arrival.
Although MARTA first reported nine injuries, they later confirmed an additional two individuals after inquiries about those who sought medical attention at nearby stations after leaving Vine City.
Black, a resident of Decatur and a native of Atlanta, stated that the real issue during the incident was not the crowd, which she described as well-behaved, but MARTA’s failure in executing crowd management. She pointed out a complete absence of staff members directing traffic at the busy station, which connects to Mercedes-Benz Stadium via a pedestrian bridge.
Attendees echoed Black’s sentiments, noting the scarcity of MARTA personnel despite the presence of MARTA police. Marcus Armistead, another concertgoer present during the incident, highlighted malfunctioning fare gates that contributed to crowd congestion, with people having difficulty swiping their Breeze cards—a potential misstep in ensuring a smooth passage for concertgoers.
In the thick of the chaos, Armistead worried that someone could accidentally be pushed onto the train tracks due to the overwhelming crowd. He remarked, “It was definitely not a pretty process at all. I kind of feel like shame on MARTA, the way it was handled, because the way it was presented…was MARTA being the safest and fastest, most efficient, way to the concert. They didn’t feel prepared.”
While most witnesses refrained from calling it a “stampede,” Amber Anderson, a South Carolina attendee, supported the term, recounting her own injuries sustained during the incident and being among the few who reported hearing the initial scream that instigated the pandemonium.
As the fallout from this incident continues, Black emphasized that there is a pressing need for MARTA to critique its safety measures, particularly with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, where crowds are anticipated to be even larger than those observed during the recent concerts.
“This is the culmination of what it looks like to be a failed business,” she stated, underscoring the challenges faced not only during large-scale events but also in the daily operations of the metropolitan transit system.
With a multitude of injured individuals and significant criticism directed toward MARTA, the agency faces a pivotal moment in addressing its operational safety and crowd management policies, determining how to better safeguard the public during large events in the future.
image source from：ajc
