During the trial, jurors were shown photographs of several of the victims, including one who was sprawled on the street amid scattered strawberries. Another appeared to be embedded in the crumpled hood of Weller's car. Those killed ranged in age from 7 months to 78 years.
Although Weller did not testify during the trial, jurors did hear his taped interview with police immediately after the crash in which he said he tried everything he could think of to stop his car.
"I tried to take the control knob and jam it into park. Everything. Anything that I thought would stop the action of the car," he told a California Highway patrol investigator and a Santa Monica police detective.
He said he had no idea how many people he hit.
"But I'm deeply sorry for any pain that everyone went through. It was my fault," he said.
The crash left behind a devastating scene of carnage on what, until moments before, had been an idyllic Southern California summer day. It also ignited a national debate over whether elderly people should be allowed to continue to drive.
Weller was 86 when he sent his 1992 Buick Le Sabre roaring into the crowded farmers market on July 16, 2003. The vehicle traveled some 300 yards, reaching speeds of 60 mph or more, as it crashed into food stalls and mowed down scores of people. It finally came to a stop, after hitting a ditch, with one victim's body tangled underneath and another's draped across the hood.
The main issue raised at trial was whether Weller had control of the car during the 20 seconds it careened through the market.
Prosecutors said that was more than enough time to realize and correct his mistake, suggesting he steered into people and away from parked cars to avoid hurting himself.They called one witness who claimed Weller said: "You saw me coming, why didn't you get out of my way?"
Defense attorneys called expert witnesses who testified that Weller had likely been in a trancelike state of shock and was unable to determine he was pumping the accelerator and not the brake.
The tragedy had begun uneventfully enough with Weller, a retired food broker, leaving his Santa Monica home to mail a letter to his great-niece.
"How do you figure that a simple thing like that would be a precursor to all of the agony that I brought people?" he asked during his interview with police.
Witnesses testified that after Weller left the post office his car rear-ended a Mercedes-Benz just outside the farmer's market, then roared through the market's entrance.
I think he should have gone to jail. There were many things that he said and that others described after the crash that definitely gave one the impression that he knew what he was doing and was indeed having some bizarre episode of rage. Sometimes very elderly people have events like this, perhaps a stroke, perhaps a bit of dementia, but whatever it was, I think he needs to be put away for awhile. If only so that he won't be able to kill - er, drive - again.
Perp said he was deeply sorry for any pain people went thru. Give me a break. What does he think it was just scratches.
So he was trying to "run" from the scene of the original accident, and once he hit one person he just kept accelerating to get the H@ll out of there.
Lock him up with the rest of the murderers.
Witnesses testified that after Weller left the post office his car rear-ended a Mercedes-Benz just outside the farmer's market, then roared through the market's entrance.
I think what happened was he caused damage to the Mercedes, and sped away to avoid having to pay anything for it; when he started hitting people he may have either panicked or maybe did that on purpose too. The point is, he probably was fully aware of what was going on at first, and only later claimed to be a "poor old confused man".
Just because someone is aged, doesn't mean they are nice. There are plenty of old people who are quite nasty. Jack Murtha comes to mind.
"Although Weller did not testify during the trial, jurors did hear his taped interview with police immediately after the crash in which he said he tried everything he could think of to stop his car."
He should have tried lifting his foot off the accelerator and putting it on the brake pedal. I swear, if I ever reach the point where I don't immediately recognize that I've stepped on the gas instead of the brake, I hope someone will pull my license and get me off the road right away.
Doesn't sound to me like this old fool really even acknowledges that this was his fault. Yes it was (probably) an accident, but it's still his fault.
In all fairness to the old man and mechanics everywhere, the Buick 3.8 V-6 engine has a Throttle Positioner Switch that bleeds air to control the idle speed; when the TPS sticks in a non-return position, the engine can and will speed up to over 3,000 RPM and it requires extra pressure on the service brake to slow or stop the car.
I have replaced two such switches on my wife's Park Avenue and, in both cases, the first symptom of trouble was a high idle and excess brake pedal pressure.
He tried everything he could to stop the car except hitting the brake pedal, and including steering towards people and away from parked cars.
Witnesses testified: no brake lights.
One more example why drivers over 70 should have to requalify every year.
What the devil is a "control knob"? A gear shift?
If he had killed my wife or child, I would insure that he would suffer a painful death at my hands as soon as he was released.