Other driver cited in Tom Brady car accident

BOSTON -- A man was seriously injured in an accident involving New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady Thursday morning.

The accident reportedly happened on Commonwealth Avenue and Gloucester Avenue near Brady’s home around 6:15 a.m.

Witnesses reportedly said Brady was heading west on Commonwealth Avenue when a minivan allegedly ran a red light on Gloucester Avenue. At that point, Brady's vehicle ran into the minivan.

Ludgero Rodrigues, 21, was behind the wheel of the minivan. He was later ticketed for running the red light that caused the accident.

Rodrigues has an extensive driving record that totals four pages dating back to March 2008. On his record he has several suspensions, a Nov. 2009 accident in New Bedford, Mass. and a refusal to take a breathalyzer, among other violations.

"It looked like a high impact crash," said Maura Burns, who witnessed the accident. "The whole front of his car was gone. But you know, no side impact just looked like a head on so I'm sure he got a little whiplash and he'll be pretty stiff."

"It was extremely loud," said another woman. "At 6:30 this morning it woke people up out of a dead sleep."

Rodrigues’ father, Rogiero, was extricated from the vehicle and taken out on a stretcher to Brigham and Women's Hospital, according to reports.

One witness, Ann Guepel, 74, was nearly hit by the minivan that Brady collided with.

"I was in the abulance with him and he said 'That car went through a red light, didn't it?' And I said, yeah," said Guepel.

Guepel was walking her two dogs on the same street, in the same direction as Brady, and they both had a green light. 

“I looked down and saw this red car coming so fast and I kept seeing it was ok for me to cross and I said to the dogs, ‘Oh my God, he’s not stopping.’ At which point, Tom [Brady] came out and … collision,” said Guepel.

According to a witness on the scene, Brady refused medical treatment and walked away from the accident.

"I saw him sitting in the front seat on a cell phone." said Burns. "He looked kind of shaken up, but he got up and started wiping off his jeans."

Police said that witnesses said they clearly remember that Brady had a green light and that the minivan ran a red light. Sources told 7NEWS that an off-duty police officer who was at the scene said Brady was not at fault.

Police said Rodrigues claimed he had a green light, but said he couldn’t keep his vision on it. Police apparently did not believe him, because authorities have charged Rodrigues for failure to stop at a red light.

Reports indicate that Brady has been checking in with authorities on the injured man's condition.

“I want to thank the safety personnel for their service, and express out concern and support for the well-being of the occupants of the other vehicle.” Tom Brady’s agent, Don Yee said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

Brady has been in the midst of contract negotiations with the Patriots, who begin their regular season Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals in Foxboro.

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