Shattered glass litters the mezzanine floor of the Alewife MBTA Station two days after a crash on the roof of the adjacent parking garage sent 10,000 pounds of concrete plunging into the glass roof of the station. (Photo by Bruce Mohl)

THE MBTA WANTED criminal charges to be filed against a man who tried to drive his car off the roof of the MBTA’s Alewife Garage in February, but a judge on Monday dismissed the case prior to arraignment.

Details were sketchy Monday evening, but officials say the Middlesex County district attorney’s office agreed to the case’s dismissal as long as the unidentified man completed mental health counseling and therapy.

The case attracted considerable attention because the man drove his car into a cement retaining wall on the top of the Alewife Station parking garage, knocking a huge chunk of the wall onto the glass ceiling above the mezzanine station area, sending shards of glass crashing down in the passenger area. Luckily, only one passenger was injured but the incident caused more than $1 million in damage, according to estimates at the time.

The MBTA Police, after conferring with the district attorney’s office, sought criminal charges against the man, who appeared to be trying to commit suicide.

According to an MBTA Police statement issued at the time, a T police officer heard the crash and ran up to the garage roof, where he found a white Honda Civic hanging off the edge of the roof above the mezzanine area of the station.

“As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed a 29-year-old male, determined to be from Medford, lying on the ground next to the driver’s side open door. The male was conscious but not alert. Shortly thereafter, the driver ceased breathing. The officer immediately began life saving measures with positive results. Upon arrival of EMTs, care of the driver was transferred to them,” the statement said.

“Based on statements made by the driver to the responding officer, interviews conducted with the driver’s immediate family member, as well as the follow-up investigation conducted by Transit Police detectives, we believe the driver’s actions were intentional and he was seeking to harm himself,” the T statement said.

The MBTA Police, after conferring with the Middlesex district attorney’s office, concluded the driver operated his vehicle in a “reckless and negligent manner” and should be charged with operating to endanger and eight counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – “to wit: glass, steel, concrete.” The T also asked that the man’s driver’s license be revoked.

Bruce Mohl oversees the production of content and edits reports, along with carrying out his own reporting with a particular focus on transportation, energy, and climate issues. He previously worked...