The Boston Globe reported today that the driver in the horrific 2016 Sweet Tomato car crash, that left 2 dead and multiple injured, has been offered a plea deal in court yesterday.
The prosecutor has been pressing for a five year sentence. The defendant has said he would accept a pleas that involved no jail time. The deal on the table is for two years in jail and 56 year old defendant Bradfor Casler has until Dec 18 to decide whether to take the deal or go to trial.
According to court documents one eyewitness told police that Casler’s SUV was weaving through traffic at speeds as high as 70 MPH on streets with 25-30 MPH speed limits. He was estimated to have been driving 50 MPH when the SUV slammed into the side of the restaurant.
Casler who has multiple sclerosis, said he lost control of the car because of a “flare up”, a sudden worsening of the symptoms.
Middlesex judge Lawrence Pierce said he considered Casler’s medical condition in determining the sentence.
“The court concludes that the defendant is a person of good character who has led a meaningful and productive life notwithstanding that he suffers from a debilitating condition. I am convinced … the defendant has deep remorse for the harm he caused and that his personal health has suffered”. said Judge Pierce
Pierce did say that Casler should spend some time in jail. “The defendant caused the death of two innocent people and has forever changed the lives of countless others.”
Caler’s decision on accepting the plea must be in by Dec 18 in time for the next court hearing in Dec 22.
“Despite living with [multiple sclerosis] . . . at no time did the defendant take any steps to ensure that he could safely operate his vehicle,” Assistant District Attorney Christopher M. Tarrant wrote in his Sept. 6 motion recommending the sentence. “To the contrary, the defendant ignored his limitations in a vain attempt to appear as if they did not exist and . . . chose to operate a car despite what he knew about his physical condition and the potential consequences of his actions.”
The Boston Globe reports that the defendant has turned down the plea offer. The trial is scheduled for May.
So much for his allegedly wanting a deal to spare his victims and their families from a trial. Apparently all he wanted was to spare himself from jail.