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

BROCKTON – A criminal complaint was recently issued for a Brockton man containing several criminal charges, including Motor Vehicle Homicide, in relation to the deaths of two men last November following a motor vehicle crash in Brockton, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has announced.

32-year-old Mario Hernandez is being 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 has been scheduled in his case for April 14 in Brockton District Court.

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 (PCDAO corrected this date first announced as the 30th) 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 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.”