On the afternoon of July 16, 2003, George Weller, then 86 years old, drove his 1992 Buick LeSabre car westward toward Arizona Avenue in Santa Monica, California to the popular Third Street Promenade town. The last few blocks of road, before ending in the ocean, have been shut down for vehicular traffic for the biweekly farmer's market.
Weller cars hit a 2003 Mercedes-Benz S430 sedan that had stopped to allow pedestrians through the crossings, then accelerated around the sign of road closures, crashed into wooden horses, and passed through a busy market crowd, walking nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) across speed between 40 and 60 mph (60 and 100 km/h). The whole series of collisions takes at least 10 seconds.
By the time the car stopped, ten people were killed and 63 were injured. Weller told investigators that he accidentally put his foot on the accelerator pedal instead of brakes, then tried to brake but could not stop. A few days after the accident, Weller issued a statement saying that he was desperate and heartbroken, and his lawyer called it an accident.
The accident triggered a national debate in the United States about the security risks posed by elderly drivers.
Some observers question Weller's account; many witnesses and victims reported:
- Did not see the brake lights in Weller's car, which indicated that he was not trying to stop;
- Weller stared straight ahead as he passed the crowd, with the victim flying over his windshield;
- Weller angrily shouted from his car "Move!" when he hit pedestrians;
- Weller who dodged parked cars and made tables on either side of the road, drove straight into the middle of a busy road;
- Weller hit a vegetable stand, "flanking" the victim with shelves and structural components of the stands;
- Weller's car stopped after crashing into two parked cars;
Proponents of Weller argue that:
- Weller suffers from arthritis, nausea as a drug side effect, and reduces mobility from hip replacement.
- Weller has a relatively clean driving record on the DMV, with one minor accident and no offense. Weller has passed the vision test and written test to update his driver's license in November 2000.
- Since the tragedy was the result of a "misapplied" pedal, Weller has been in an accident, not a crime. "Pedal's error can not be considered an omission," said Mark Overland, a lawyer for Weller.
After he was found guilty of ten charges of car killing, the judge noted that Weller "showed great indifference" and "tremendous pettiness."
This case is an inspiration for the episode of South Park Season 7 "Gray Dawn".
Video Santa Monica Farmers Market crash
End time line
The tragedy day in Santa Monica, previous crash footage Weller had been in the previous ten years. While the accident was not fatal, he drove his car off the road in a manner similar to an accident on the Promenade and the footage was about the same as it showed a confused Weller roaming around his car that crashed in a crowded public area. This further sparked debate surrounding what warning signs should be checked by authorities when dealing with driving privileges and parents.
On July 24, 2003, it was reported that state officials revoked the driver's license of Weller.
On January 5, 2004, the Los Angeles County District Prosecutor's Office charged George Russell Weller with ten counts of murdering a motor vehicle with major negligence, carrying a sentence of up to 18 years in prison. Weller lawyers are ordered to hand over their clients within 24 hours.
On January 6, 2004, Weller pleaded not guilty to the charge before Judge Los Angeles High Court Judge Paula Adele Mabrey and acquitted of her own confession.
On January 14, 2004, victims and relatives filed suit against Santa Monica City and Bayside District Corp., a Santa Monica farmers market organizer, alleging that the accident could have been prevented by the installation of a metal barrier. Lawyers Geoff Wells, representing victims and their families, said that "[The defendants] failed to take reasonable steps to provide protection for customers in the farmers' market."
On October 25, 2004, Los Angeles High Court Judge Katherine Mader held a preliminary hearing to determine whether Weller would be tried.
On 3 November 2004, Weller was ordered to stand trial, and his indictment was scheduled for November 17.
On December 8, 2004, after a delay due to ill health, Weller was indicted, once again pleaded not guilty to the charge, and waived his right to a speedy trial.
On March 18, 2005, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O'Neill denied a motion from Weller's lawyer to deny the murder charges, and commented that "hitting the accelerator rather than the brakes seems to me to be a very negligent act."
On October 20, 2006, with a unanimous decision, the judges found Weller guilty of all charges, sentenced him to a murder committed by a vehicle for killing 10 pedestrians. The sentence must be decided by the Court, with a maximum sentence of 18 years.
On November 20, 2006, Weller received probation on all charges after a judge ruled that Weller was too ill to go to jail, where he would likely be a burden to prison authorities and taxpayers. Weller is a month shorter than his 90th birthday. He was also ordered to pay over $ 100,000 in fines and restitution to the families of the victims.
On May 22, 2008, the Los Angeles Times reported that the City of Santa Monica has so far paid $ 21 million to complete dozens of civil suits from the case. The same article also notes that Weller, age 91, is now locked up in his home and receiving 24-hour treatment.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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