Kevin Bradley, the 65-year-old New Jersey man who was killed Monday when an SUV crashed into an Apple Store in Hingham, “adored” his family and was engaged to be married, a family representative said.
Kori Robino, sister-in-law to the daughter of Bradley’s fiancée, remembered him in a GoFundMe posting Tuesday as a loving family man.
“Kevin was the loving fiance to Kathy McGrogan; they were together for over 12 years, and she was the center of his world,” Robino wrote. “He lived with Kathy, her daughter Kelly (my sister-in-law), Kelly’s fiance Drew (my brother), and my niece and nephew — AJ (5) and Bella (4) — who he adored.”
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Bradley was killed when an SUV driven by Bradley Rein, 53, of Hingham, plowed into the glass facade of the Apple Store at the Derby Street Shops, a devastating crash that injured at least 19 others, according to authorities.
Rein was held on $100,000 cash bail at his arraignment Tuesday in Hingham District Court on charges of motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, a felony; and reckless operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, according to legal filings. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
Rein told authorities his foot had gotten stuck on the accelerator, and his attempts to hit the brakes were futile, according to a police report.
“With this being a holiday week and Christmas fast approaching, we are asking for any help you can provide to help with funeral arrangements and everyday expenses until the details and next steps are figured out,” Robino wrote in the GoFundMe appeal.
Reached by phone, Robino said the family wasn’t commenting further on Wednesday.
“Please consider a small donation in place of a cup of coffee to help my family get through this tragedy,” Robino wrote on GoFundMe. “If you cannot help financially, please share within your networks so we can help the McGrogan family bear this burden and make it a little easier for them to navigate each day.”
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The appeal had raised $985 as of late Wednesday morning.
“I am just so very devastated to read about this tragic incident that took this nice man’s life,” one woman wrote on the page. “I’m praying hard for his family, friends, & coworkers & also all the others affected by & injured in this horrific crash. Sending prayers from Memphis.”
Bradley, an employee of GMS Construction, was helping with construction work at the store at the time of the crash, according to legal filings and Apple representatives.
According to a police report, Bradley’s co-worker told investigators he and Bradley were moving a barrier from a window when he heard a loud engine roar.
“He was suddenly spun around and heard what he thought sounded like an explosion, followed by a loud smash,” police wrote, paraphrasing the co-worker’s account. “He stated that he never even heard any glass breaking ... When he went inside, he saw his coworker [Bradley] ... clearly deceased on the floor and saw the car against the back of the store.”
Separately Wednesday, the mother of a Weymouth woman who was injured in the crash said by phone that her daughter blacked out when the SUV made impact and was “dragged at some point by something” amid the chaos.
“She has a broken ankle in two places,” said Jenn Wade Baker, of Weymouth, referring to her daughter, 21-year-old Soni Baker. “She’s in a cast right now. ... She has a fractured vertebra. There was also some indication of a small bleed in the brain,” which doctors were able to address.
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Her daughter is looking at “more than a few months” of recovery, Jenn Baker said, and her daughter’s friend who was with her at the store remains hospitalized and “very seriously injured.”
Her daughter, she said, had her back to the store at the time of the crash and heard what sounded like a massive explosion.
“She didn’t know if they were being bombed or shot up or what was happening,” Wade said, adding that her daughter remembers being later carried out of the store by a medical professional and “being in extreme pain.”
All things considered, however, “she’s a very lucky young lady,” although her mobility will be limited during her recovery, which will effect her work schedule that includes multiple jobs, Baker said.
“She’s very thankful to be alive,” Baker said.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.