WOBURN, Mass. (WHDH) — A man who killed two people when he crashed his car into a Newton restaurant in 2016 spoke Tuesday before his sentencing, telling the court that the tragedy will forever cause him emotional distress.
A Superior Court jury found Bradford Casler guilty last month of two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of negligent operation in connection with the fatal 2016 crash at Sweet Tomatoes, which claimed the lives of a 32-year-old Gregory Morin and a 57-year-old Eleanor Miele, who were eating inside the restaurant.
Casler, who has multiple sclerosis, argued that a medical episode caused him to lose control of his SUV. He testified during the trial that he couldn’t remember the crash.
Prosecutors said Casler was aware of the possible effects of his disease and chose to ignore them, endangering other drivers.
Casler earlier rejected a plea deal that called for two years in prison.
A weeping Casler took the stand after victim impact statements were delivered, expressing a desire to help prevent similar incidents in the future while explaining that he cannot recall the crash.
“At some point, I would like to take the bull by the horns and really try to make a difference so there are other families that do not have to be here in this situation,” he said. “I try to recall the accident, which I’m not all sure that happened. I know the injuries that I had, a broken left elbow and some other things, those are gone. But my emotional scars will never leave.”
Families members of the victims began the court hearing by delivering emotional impact statements.
Gregory Morin’s wife, Erica, was the first to take the stand. She described how incredibly difficult that last two years of her life have been.
“It remains impossible to adequately describe Greg and to explain how difficult the past two years and eight months have been,” she said. “There’s not a single aspect of my life that has not been affected.”
Erica Morin went on to say that the crash stripped her of her “husband, partner and best friend” and robbed her of the “chance to be a family.”
Thomas Desmond, Miele’s brother, told the court that he was stunned to learn of his sister’s death.
“I was stunned. She lived in Watertown. Why was she at a restaurant in West Newton? I later learned that she had stopped there for dinner en route to a charitable event at her parish church,” he said. “As I called my brother Richard to inform him of the tragedy, I could still hear his audible gasp.”
Casler is expected to be sentenced at 2 p.m.
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