Negligence Denied in Escalator Death of Child

WASHINGTON — The transit authority issued a report Thursday saying that it had not been negligent in the death of a 3-year-old girl strangled when a string on her jacket became caught in a subway station escalator.

John Flynn, chairman of the Office of Safety and Fire Protection, said that the escalator was working properly and emergency personnel responded swiftly to the Jan. 26 accident at the Minnesota Avenue station. “No modifications in facilities and equipment or changes in procedures would have prevented this accident,” Flynn said.