JUDGE

Hearing Set to Decide Fate of Driver in Deadly Sweet Tomatoes Crash

A hearing date has been set later this month to decide the fate of a Massachusetts man accused of crashing his car into a local restaurant last year, killing two people.

Superior Court Judge Laurence Pierce set a hearing date of Oct. 27 for Brad Casler, charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide after allegedly crashing into Sweet Tomatoes restaurant in West Newton in March 2016.

The crash killed 32-year-old Gregory Morin of Newton and 57-year-old Eleanor Miele of Watertown, while injuring several others.

Casler did not comment in court Monday. His lawyer said his client is still considering his options.

"A plea is always what he wanted to do to try to prevent any more pain and suffering," said Thomas Giblin, Casler's attorney.

Casler suffers from multiple sclerosis, which Giblin said played a factor in the crash.

According to Judge Pierce, Casler is willing to plead guilty but wants to avoid jail time. The government's recommended sentence for Casler is five years behind bars.

Erika Morin, wife of Gregory Morin, who was killed in the crash, said she believes Casler should serve time.

"My husband lost 50 plus years of his life, so we do not think five years is an unreasonable amount," she said.

However, Giblin said his client doesn't deserve to go to prison and isn't likely to handle "the rigors of incarceration" based on his condition.

The judge will hear arguments from both sides at the end of the month.

Casler can then either accept the judge's recommended punishment or take the case to trial.

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