32-year-old Brockton man facing multiple charges in relation to crash that killed two friends released on low bail

BROCKTON – A Brockton man was arraigned Tuesday and pled not guilty to several criminal charges, including Motor Vehicle Homicide, in relation to the deaths of two men last November following a motor vehicle crash in Brockton.

Court records show that 32-year-old Mario Hernandez was charged on one count each of Motor Vehicle Homicide, Operation Under the Influence of Liquor, Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle and a Red- Light Violation. A Summons Arraignment took place on Tuesday in Brockton District Court. He was released on $5,000 cash bail, ordered to remain alcohol free and submit to alcohol screens four times daily using a SCRAM device and prohibited from driving as conditions of his release.

The Commonwealth had requested Hernandez be held on $100,000 cash bail, and that a prior bail in a separate case be revoked.

According to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz, on November 14th at about 1:30 a.m., Brockton Police received reports of a crash involving two vehicles at the intersection of Centre Street and Quincy Street. First responders located a 2019 Infiniti Q50, operated by Hernandez, engulfed in flames with occupants trapped inside the car, and a white box truck flipped over on its driver’s side. Occupants from both vehicles were transported to area hospitals for medical treatment. One of the passengers in the Infiniti — identified as 26-year-old Shane Spillane — was taken to Boston Medical Center South in Brockton where he was pronounced dead. Another passenger, 24-year-old Justin Pratt, died on November 23rd from injuries sustained during the crash.

Surveillance footage from a nearby business showed the Infiniti travelling west on Centre Street, and the white truck travelling north on Quincy Street immediately prior to the crash. The footage shows the front of the Infiniti strike the driver’s side of the white truck at the middle of the intersection, apparently causing the truck to overturn onto its side. The Infiniti is observed to be engulfed in flames following the collision. There are functioning traffic lights at the intersection of Centre and Quincy streets, and the roadway was well-lit at the time of the crash.

As a result of an ongoing Massachusetts State Police investigation, the PCDAO applied for criminal charges against Hernandez on March 12th in relation to the deaths of Spillane and Pratt.

According to a GoFundMe fundraiser, just 8 years ago, Shane’s older sister, Danielle, passed at 31 years old.

According to a second GoFundMe fundraiser, Pratt, was a friend of Spillane.

“He was a kind, compassionate, and deeply caring man who had a gift for keeping everyone around him laughing. Justin’s warmth, quick wit, and genuine heart made him someone people naturally gravitated toward. He loved hard, showed up for the people he cared about, and could turn even the hardest moments into something lighter with his humor.”

Hernandez has a pretrial hearing scheduled for June 2nd.