Man on trial in Apple Store crash blames the car for the fatal accident

PLYMOUTH – "The car did it" could end up being part of the defense for the driver in the 2022 fatal Apple Store crash in Hingham.

Bradley Rein, of Hingham, is charged with murder after crashing through the window of the Apple Store at Derby Street Shops in Hingham in 2022.

In a brief appearance in Plymouth Superior Court on Tuesday, Rein's lawyer, Joan Fund, discussed her reasoning for a filing to gather more information from Toyota on the 2019 4Runner Rein was driving when it crashed through the Apple Store's glass facade on Nov. 21, 2022, reaching the back wall and trapping people inside.

The crash killed Kevin Bradley, 65, of Wayne, New Jersey, and injured more than a dozen others.

Fund said the potential failure of artificial intelligence and other software upgrades to the 4Runner model might have contributed to what she described as "an issue that was a trigger in terms of causing unintended acceleration" in the lead up to the crash.

Replying to a question from the judge, Fund said she did have data and anectodical claims that the issue has occurred in other similar vehicles across multiple states.

Working for the prosecution, attorney David Cutshall said he needed more time to review the information Fund presented in her filing. A follow-up court appearance is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 22.

Fund is also seeking further information from the state's vehicle collision reconstruction team about the accident.. Cutshall said he would file any opposition to her motions by May 15. .

Rein, who was 53 at the time of the crash, was indicted in March 2023 on a charge of second-degree murder and dozens of other counts. He was arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court the following month.

Rein arrested 2 times more since Apple Store accident

Rein has been in court multiple times over the past seven months, mostly for letting his GPS monitor remain uncharged – once in September 2023 and then three months later in December.

While he was arrested for the probation violation both times, Rein only served jail time for the first incident. He was held without bail for 60 days and was released around Thanksgiving. His second violation occurred around a month later

Concerns raised by Rein's lawyer about her client's mental state during a Dec. 27 court appearance to decide whether Rein should be held again for the second violation led to him undergoing an in-patient mental health evaluation and having his $100,000 bail revoked again.

HIs last court appearance was in early February, at which time the judge in the case, Elaine Buckley, decided to reinstate his bail following the evaluation

While Buckley did not order any jail time for Rein, she chastised him for what she said was the simple task of keeping a battery charged. She warned him any subsequent violations would lead to jail time.

She ordered him to avoid alcohol, which she said "was a problem" for him, and submit to random urine tests to ensure he does so.

Police gave Rein an alcohol breath test after the accident. It did not find any blood in his system.

Rein said the crash was caused by his foot becoming stuck on the accelerator pedal.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Apple crash driver Bradley Rein, charged with murder, appears in court