BOSTON (WHDH) - Numerous witnesses provided emotional testimony in court Friday as the trial of the man accused of causing a deadly crash into a Newton restaurant continued.
On the second day of the trial, family members of the victims took the stand to describe the many ways that the crash changed their lives forever.
Jurors heard from 12 witnesses Friday, ranging from family members to good Samaritans.
Erika Morin, who lost her husband Gregory, a 32-year-old lawyer and father, recalled her husband as someone who, “liked the Patriots and the Red Sox, spending time with friends and family” and “ran somewhat reluctantly.”
She recalled how on March 1, 2016, the day of the crash, the couple’s day was mostly ordinary.
“That morning, we voted together cause it was Primary Day, rode on the train to work together, and that was the last time I saw him,” Morin said.
That evening, Bradford Casler would slam his car into the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant in Newton, where Gregory was getting a pizza.
“I said I would pick up our daughter, and he said he would grab dinner,” Morin said.
Gregory died as a result of that crash, as did 57-year-old Eleanor Miele, who was also eating at the pizza shop.
“One of the main things she did was spend time with our mother, taking her on errands and doctor appointments,” said Thomas Desmond, Miele’s brother.
The prosecutor not only called the victim’s family members to explain their loss but also workers who were inside and badly hurt. The staffers recalled getting trapped under a ceiling, between ovens, and tables in the wreck.
“I thought I was burned,” said former Sweet Tomatoes General Manager Casey Vaughn. “Once I was able to get my body free, I noticed something was wrong with my leg.”
To understand how bad the destruction was inside the shop, jurors also hear from good Samaritans who ran to help in the wake of the crash.
“It looked like a bomb had gone off,” said Jessie Miller. “People were screaming and injured.”
But it was first the responders who interacted with Casler that offered insight about him.
“He stated the car accelerated on its own,” Newton Police Officer Megan McLean said.
The trial resumes on Monday.
The defense plans to call doctors who specialize in multiple sclerosis.
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