Newton Sweet Tomatoes Crash Case: Tears As Victims, Friends Remember

NEWTON, MA — Eleanor Miele's brother Thomas Desmond said she was on her way to church to make baskets for needy children when she stopped for a bite to eat at Sweet Tomatoes in March of 2016. It was then she was struck and killed by a car that crashed into the crowded restaurant. Miele was one of two killed. Seven others were injured.

It was an emotional day at the Middlesex Superior Court Wednesday, as those who've been most closely impacted by the events of that day, described the weeks following the death of their loved ones, the distress it's caused former employees and the impact it's had on the driver himself.

The first to take the stand was Gabrielle Moreira, who used to work at Sweet Tomatoes. She almost immediately burst into tears.

"After the accident... I no longer feel as energized as before. I have a strong lack of energy... The memories of the accident are still very clear," she said. "Sometimes I start thinking and I remember ... everything I've been through. It's not been easy."

She described nightmares, and feeling of fear to be alone. "I'm always alert, scared," she said.

She said she spent 47 days in the hospital. After that a home health aid came to help her for months. She had to install a ramp so she could get into her home. She listed her injuries including fractures to her hip arm, jaw, nose and more, requiring skin grafts.

"Eighteen months later and I still can't stand in front of the pizzeria," she said.

The wife of Greg Morin, the other person who died in the crash, spoke about their daughter.

"The weight of such grief is not something you can understand," said Erica Morin.

The judge accepted 10 written victim impact statements from family and friends of the victims, a live stream of the hearing showed. He told the court he would hear the testimonies and then he planned to get medical statements later this month before making a recommendation on the sentencing of Newton resident Brad Casler's trial.

Casler, the man charged with driving his SUV into the restaurant, is expected to change his plea later this month, according to multiple reports.

Casler's rabbi and friend both spoke of him as a honest, gentle and good man who they feared would not survive jail time.

He faces two counts of motor vehicle homicide.

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Live Tweets from the hearing:

Photo courtesy Mass.gov