A 30-year-old Plymouth man has been charged with manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide, accused of causing a crash that killed a passenger in his car last summer.
Anthony M. Bradley had been cited for multiple driving infractions — and had his license suspended — in the years leading up to the August 30 accident in the breakdown lane of Route 3 South in Plymouth, according to court records.
He was allegedly driving more than 100 miles an hour in the breakdown lane at about 10:30 p.m. when his Jeep struck a car in the right travel lane, state police said. Witnesses said they believed Bradley was racing another driver.
The crash killed Lauren Eldridge, 29, of Natick, who was riding in Bradley’s Jeep. Eldridge was a radiologic technologist and the mother of a young daughter.
Bradley was indicted May 20 on four counts, including manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol, and motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol or drugs — both felonies that carry the possibility of long prison sentences.
In October, he pleaded not guilty in Plymouth District Court to less serious charges, including motor vehicle homicide and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.
A second man, Chevelle Borden, 19, was also indicted in connection with the crash. Borden, of Fall River, was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
Borden was the third driver involved in the fatal crash — witnesses told investigators he appeared to be racing Bradley.
He didn’t remain at the accident scene, but the next day turned himself in and gave his version of what happened.
Borden said he was driving a Dodge Charger on the highway when he saw the Jeep speeding in the breakdown lane.
He told investigators he sped up to keep pace with the white Jeep, braking when he saw traffic ahead of him. Borden then witnessed the fatal crash.
In October, Bradley pleaded not guilty in Plymouth District Court to less serious charges, including motor vehicle homicide and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.
No date is listed for his or Borden’s arraignment in Plymouth Superior Court.
If convicted of manslaughter while under the influence – the most serious charge – he could face up to 20 years in prison. A conviction carries a mandatory five-year prison term.
According to a state police report, his Jeep first struck a Mini Cooper traveling in the right lane, causing it to veer off the left side of the highway. The Jeep then rolled over several times, according to the police report.
The driver of the Mini Cooper was able to navigate her car back onto the road and call 911, the state police report said.
Troopers couldn’t speak to Bradley or Eldridge, they reported, because they were too badly injured. The driver of the Mini Cooper was not injured, state police said.
Eldridge, who was ejected from the Jeep, later died of her injuries, according to the state police report.
Bradley was sitting on the ground, the police report said, bleeding heavily as he was treated by EMTs.
The August accident was not the first time Bradley was cited for driving or other violations, according to court records.
In 2019, Plymouth police charged him with negligent operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of property damage, possessing an open container of alcohol, and improper storage of a handgun.
Bradley had allegedly crashed his truck into a parked car on Main Street, according to Plymouth police.
His Nissan Frontier was heavily damaged — it was missing a tire, a tailgate was falling off and it had substantial front-end damage, police wrote.
After police found alcohol and a 9mm handgun in his truck, they suspended Bradley’s license to carry a firearm.
In 2021, Bradley was charged with operating without a license by Kingston police who followed him for more than a mile after someone reported an erratic driver was “all over the road,” according to a police report.
A Registry of Motor Vehicles check showed that his license had been suspended for “a variety of reasons including failure to pay fines and costs, accumulation of points and three serious convictions in three years,” Kingston police said.
Both the Kingston and Plymouth cases were continued without a finding and Bradley was placed on probation for a year. The probation ended in 2022, according to court records.
Paul Stanton, a lawyer who represented Bradley at his October district court arraignment, could not be reached for comment. It’s unclear whether he will represent him on the new charges.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.