Mechanical Failure Ruled Out In Farmers Market Crash (10 Killed 63 Injured)

KNBC Chanel 4 Website ^ | 11:50 a.m. PST December 4, 2003 | Channel 5

[Peace will be here soon]

I once saw a woman keep her foot on the gas after her car had already crashed into another car and was motionless, until someone opened her door and told her to take her foot off the gas.

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Yep, I absolutely believe that. I saw a guy cross four lanes of highway, tire smoking, hit a curb, U turn back across the four lanes again, hit a drainage ditch, came out of the drainage ditch into a parking lot, tire still smoking, hit a car and was thrown from the drivers seat, and then the car finally coasted across the parking lot and hit another car. Engine was still running when the car stopped, idling...You think he was on the gas that whole time he was flying across the road ?? You bet he was. He just panicked when he came to the intersection and missed the brake and hit the gas pedal instead, which is what started this whole ordeal. This happened right in front of me. I had to lay on my brakes to keep from broad siding the guy when he entered the intersection. Lucky he didn`t kill someone.

[phreebass]

I thought him hitting a car was what started this whole senario? This guy had a history of reckless driving from what I know. Do you believe he purposely mowed down all those people?

It was him hitting a car that started this whole scenario... but more to the point it was him fleeing the scene of that accident that started all this. Do I believe he purposely mowed down all those people? Well... yeah! I think the scenario is like BushMeister said...

It appears that this oldster panicked after the collision and said to himself "I'm in trouble now!" , and decided to flee the scene. He then crashed into the crowd and said to himself "Now I'm REALLY in trouble!", and kept his foot on the gas.

He was trying to get away... plain and simple.. and whilst in the act of trying to flee the scene he killed all those people. Your last example of an elderly driver losing control... smashing around all over the road... this aint what happened. The guy in this case made a bee-line straight through the market.. avoiding parked cars.. because he was trying to get away.

[Peace will be here soon]

He was trying to get away... plain and simple.. and whilst in the act of trying to flee the scene he killed all those people.

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Well, if that was so apparently evident, he would have been charged by now. I don`t think the case is there, or it will be very hard to prove he did this with intent. It is all speculation. I think the guy had his eye in the mirror trying to see what he hit initially, and then looked ahead and seen where he was going and panicked, hitting the gas instead of the brake, causing all this mayhem. I don`t believe he intentionally mowed down those people. But , I am only speculating as well.

[brianl703]

This is why the brake pedals on vehicles typically marketed to the elderly, such as Cadillacs, are about a foot wide.

[Smogger]

It's no more relavent if he "he intentionally mowed down those people" or not then it is if a drunk did it. If his ability to drive was impaired, be it by age, alcohol or Alzheimer's medication he should fry just the same.

Obviously, drunks don't intened to become murderers either. This guy has caused a 100 times more carnage then any drunk I have EVER heard of, so he should get the same break society would give the worst of one of them.

[phreebass]

Well, if that was so apparently evident, he would have been charged by now

Not when everybody is so ready and willing to make excuses for what happened.... and just because it's the truth.. doesn't mean it would be easy to prosecute in court... particularly with a sympathetic jury. If this was some young kid I cant possibly conceive so many people making the same excuses... Old people are plenty capable of fleeing the scene of an accident.. and killing people in the process. Accidently stepping on the gas instead of the brake doesn't last 3 blocks, 1000 feet, in a straight line...

[phreebass]

This is why the brake pedals on vehicles typically marketed to the elderly, such as Cadillacs, are about a foot wide.

Hey! I own a caddy and I aint elderly. But i tells ya... that brake pedal IS wide... no mistaking the gas for the brake on that thing.

[300winmag]

The guy in this case made a bee-line straight through the market.. avoiding parked cars.. because he was trying to get away.

This guy seems to have a history of running his car into things, and keeping on driving. I've seen similiar kinds of drivers, without this much carnage, thank goodness. I call it the "angry geezer" syndrome.

There are plenty of other kinds of deadly drivers, but in older people, especially men, there is the feeling that they are entitled to drive any way they want, and it's the other guy's duty to get out of his way. Sideswipe a car? It was the other guy's fault for parking it there. Stop for the accident? Why? Run over all those people? It was their fault for having that market in the middle of the road he was speeding down. His situation entitles him to drive any way he pleases, and everyone else better keep out of the way if they don't want trouble.

I've seen this type of angry geezer curse at checkout clerks, start arguments with people in line with him, and then drive like a bat out of hell. He's angry that he's old, he's angry that he doesn't have free medical care, and he's angry that someone might be wanting to take away his driving privileges, forcing him to "be dependent" on kids he's angry at, too.

Like I said, I've seen this kind of situation plenty of times, just not as deadly as this particular case.

[AnnaZ]

He did not have control of his vehicle.

Yes he absolutely did.

[BossLady]

'Weller was taking prescription medication that causes nausea and dizziness'

I can see where this case is going.......

[phreebass]

You hit the nail on the head with that one! I was browsing through the old threads and there were some reports that when weller got out of his car he was being a total angry geezer.

Fisher was the guy interviewed on TV who said Weller spoke to him while the police were questioning Weller. Weller made abusive comments to him and the police, something to the effect that the victims "should have gotten out of the way" and "maybe he (Weller) should have hit (Fisher) too."

I couldn't find much more about it tho... I agree with you wholeheartedly.. angry geezer syndrome to an extreme never seen before.

[brianl703]

grumpy old men?

[Smogger]

The expression on the guys face, and his lack of remorse is probably why the crowd's initial reaction (and this is a Santa Monica Farmer's Market crowd were talking here) was yank the old geezer out of the car and rip him limb from limb.

Then the guy gets released from the Santa Monica police station and is all smiles and shaking hands. If I had a family member that was victim of this creep I would be looking for some payback.

[Peace will be here soon]

Hello !! I never said this guy should not pay for what he did ( see post 14 ). I was just pointing out that fact that old people ( and others ) plow through things all the time, and get away with it, claiming the gas pedal just stuck !! In most cases it is driver error ( a driver missing the brake and hitting the gas ) that results in this kind of incident. And society just puts up with it !! I have no idea what this guy was thinking, and neither do any of you. He could be evil as they come. He could be insane. He could have just panicked. That will be left to a court of law. Yes, we do have courts in this country. Good thing too, you all would have this guy hanging from a lamp post, deserving or not. But if it is found that he did do this on purpose, I will hand you all the rope. He should face jail time in any case even if it was just an accident. He is still responsible for the injury and deaths of those people.

[TiaS]

Is anyone doing a serious background search on this guy? It does sound like he did it on purpose.

[montag813]

YEARLY DRIVING TESTS FOR EVERY AMERICAN OVER 70. WE NEED A CONGRESSIONAL LAW NOW!

[Smogger]

Well a lot of us that live in Southern California seen the news reports from the immidiate aftermath and interviews with people on the seen. A lot of them said the guy showed no remorse and he certainly didn't show any remorse when he was let go a few hours later.

[marcy_sss]

Hey do you know when Weller's court date is? I am in southern california and I want to shoot pictures of it for a class I'm in. Know where I can find out?
Thanks a bunch.