A worker secures a damaged SUV to a flatbed tow truck outside an Apple store on Monday in Hingham, Mass. At least one person was killed and more than a dozen others were injured Monday when the SUV crashed into the store, authorities said. Steven Senne/Associated Press
HINGHAM, Mass. — A man was arraigned Tuesday on charges that he was reckless when he crashed his SUV through the front window of an Apple store in Massachusetts, killing one person and injuring 19 others, authorities said.
Bradley Rein is arraigned in Hingham District Court on Tuesday in Hingham, Mass. Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via Associated Press
Bradley Rein, 53, was arraigned in district court in Hingham. Rein, who lives nearby, told police he was looking for an eyeglass store at a shopping center in the town of Hingham, southeast of Boston, when his right foot became stuck on the accelerator, according to court documents. He said he used his left foot to try to brake but couldn’t stop the vehicle, crashing through the front of the store, the documents say. Rein was wearing running sneakers.
“We have a very serious matter,” Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz told reporters after the arraignment. “We have one fatality – numerous people who are still in the hospital right now suffering grievous and traumatic injuries.”
The court entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to charges of motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation and reckless operation of a motor vehicle, according to the clerk’s office.
Rein told police he had no medical issues that would impair his ability to drive and he had not consumed alcohol or drugs. A preliminary breath test showed a reading of 0.00%, according to the documents. He was held on $100,000 bail and his next court date was set for Dec. 22.
“This was just an unfortunate accident,” said Alison King, the defense attorney appointed to argue Rein’s initial bail. She said his sneaker-clad foot got “stuck between the accelerator and the side” and he couldn’t make the SUV stop accelerating. He told police his foot had gotten similarly stuck once on the highway previously.
Rein was arrested Monday night after his 2019 Toyota 4Runner crashed into the store’s plate glass window and struck people in the morning, the documents say. The victim who died was identified as Kevin Bradley, 65, of New Jersey.
Apple released a statement saying it was “devastated by the shocking events at Apple Derby Street today and the tragic loss of a professional who was onsite supporting recent construction at the store.”
The storefront window showed a gaping hole as first responders worked at the scene of the crash. The store opened about an hour before the crash.
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