tags: 2003 timeline, Shopping Mall Market, described as terrorism, pedal confusion, Vehicle Assault
73 victims, 10 dead 63 injured
July 16, 2003 Santa Monica Farmer's Market Massacre / Rampage left 10 dead and 63 hurt, after then 86-year-old George Ressell Weller's car either accidentally or intentionally roared through the market on the afternoon. The biweekly farmers' market was closed off, but he hit a car, then accelerated around a road closure sign, crashed through wooden sawhorses, and plowed through the busy marketplace crowd. He was found guilty of ten counts of vehicular manslaughter, the sentencing judge noted that Weller “showed enormous indifference” and “unbelievable callousness.” A jewish observer said it mirrored a terrorist attack in Israel. The judge sentenced Weller to five years' felony probation, saying that Weller deserved to go to prison, but at nearly 90 years of age and suffering from heart disease, he would simply be a burden to taxpayers. He was also ordered to pay about $107,100 in fines and restitution
Two of the victims were Jewish Iranians, grandmother Molok Ghoulian Nabatian who was hit when she was pushing 7-month-old grandson Brandon Esfahani Davidi in a stroller. Hundreds of mourners from Southern California’s large Persian immigrant community attended the service. A cloth Star of David draped the infant’s casket. The oldest victim was Movsha Hoffman, who was a 78-year-old Lithuanian Jewish immigrant. Recently closed was the Bay Cities Jewish Community Center, but Santa Monica is a center for Jews with seven Jewish congregations, four of them Orthodox.
The crash resulted in the deaths of Lynne Weaver, 47; Theresa Breglia, 50; Brandon Davidesfahani, 7 months, and his grandmother, Molok Nabatian-Ghoulian (Iranian Jews) , 62; Gloria Gonzalez, 35; Movsha Hoffman (Jewish), 78; Leroy Lattier, 55; Diana McCarthy, 41, and her husband, Kevin, 50; and Cindy Valladares, 3 (toddler) This was not only a vehicle rampage, but also an attack on an infant in a stroller, an attack on Jews, and an attack on Iranian immigrants.
This Jewish observer said it mirrored a terrorist attack in Israel: I was in Santa Monica, but the next sights and sounds were ones that more often are found in Israel. The quiet hum of shoppers was interrupted by the crash of a barricade being smashed, bodies being slammed onto the pavement, screams of victims and near victims forming a haunting chorus. Names of missing friends were called out; ashen faces pushed against cell phones, begging 911 operators to send help.
It was impossible to imagine that so much destruction and terror had been caused by a mere automobile, so I, like many of the other witnesses, assumed a terrorist act was in progress. I held my breath and waited to see if there was more to come.
- Murders.net Since the tragedy resulted from a “misapplication” of the pedal, Weller had committed anaccident, not a crime. “Pedal error cannot constitute negligence,” stated an attorney for Weller. After he was found guilty of ten counts of vehicular manslaughter, the sentencing judge noted that Weller “showed enormous indifference” and “unbelievable callousness.”
- Wikipedia: George Russell Weller was a retired salesman from Santa Monica, California, who gained notoriety as the motorist in a fatal car accident. On October 20, 2006, Weller was found guilty of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter after he drove his car through a crowded open-air marketplace in Santa Monica. The following month, the judge sentenced him to five years' felony probation, saying that Weller deserved to go to prison, but at nearly 90 years of age and suffering from heart disease, he would simply be a burden to taxpayers. He was also ordered to pay about $107,100 in fines and restitution
Key Facts
- Apology: his first public statement: called what happened a "devastating accident." "There are no words to express the feelings my family and I have for those who suffered loss and pain ... " said George Russell Weller, in a statement read by his pastor, the Rev. Stephen C. Lien of Brentwood Presbyterian Church. "I am so very distraught, and my heart is broken over the extent of the tragedy."
- Baby in stroller: grandmother Molok Ghoulian Nabatian was hit when she was pushing 7-month-old grandson Brandon Esfahani Davidi in a stroller,
- Guilty of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
- Iranian: Molok Ghoulian Nabatian and Brandon Esfahani Davidi were Iranian Jews
- Jews: Molok Ghoulian Nabatian and Brandon Esfahani Davidi were Iranian Jews
- Occupation: Weller a former salesman who had helped start a family ministry at the church and tutored high school students, called a "role model" and "fundamentally a good man"
- Out of control: Told police he could not figure out how to stop the car
- Pedal Error: Weller's attorneys argued he was a victim of "pedal error," that mistook his car's accelerator for the brake
- Religion: Member of Brentwood Presbyterian Church
Case is closed on deadly day at market - Los Angeles Times
articles.latimes.com/2008/may/22/local/me-market22
Attorney Geraldine "Dena" Weiss said the tragedy took an indescribable toll on the family of Molok Nabatian-Ghoulian, ...
Case settled in Santa Monica Farmers’ Market crash | Los Angeles ...
losangeles.esteybomberger.com/blog/2008/05/29/case-settled-in...
$21 million has been awarded in the case of a crash at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market that killed 10 people and injured 63. In July of 2003, 86-year-old George Russell Weller crashed his 1992 Buick LeSabre through a barricade of sawhorses at the Market on Arizona Avenue between 2nd and 4th streets. The crash resulted in the deaths of Lynne Weaver, 47; Theresa Breglia, 50; Brandon Davidesfahani, 7 months, and his grandmother, Molok Nabatian-Ghoulian, 62; Gloria Gonzalez, 35; Movsha Hoffman, 78; Leroy Lattier, 55; Diana McCarthy, 41, and her husband, Kevin, 50; and Cindy Valladares, 3. Mr. Weller’s lawyers stated that he confused his brake pedal with the accelerator; however, prosecutors believed that he was trying to leave the scene of a minor accident. The incident was one of the worst accidents involving pedestrians in history.
The jury decided that Mr. Weller’s actions were criminal, and he was convicted of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He was sentenced to five years’ probation. Mr. Weller is now 91 years old, and is confined to his home where he receives nursing care 24 hours a day. The Transportation Safety Board decided that the city of Santa Monica was also partly responsible for the deaths, since the sawhorse barriers were movable and ineffective. The traffic plan for the Market was almost 20 years old and no longer complied with safety guidelines.Hoffman, 78; Leroy Lattier, 55; Diana McCarthy, 41, and her husband, ..
George Weller and the Farmer’s Market Tragedy
www.trutv.com/library/crime/blog/2013/08/08/george-weller-and-the...
Aug 08, 2013 · Janet Nabatian-Davidesfahani had been at the market with
son Brandon Davidesfahani and mother Molok Nabatian-Ghoulian.
Weller apologist is on what side of Jewish / Muslim conflict?
89-Year-Old Man Convicted of Killing 10
With his car, in 2003. George Russell Weller, then 86, killed 10 people when he plowed through a farmer's market in Santa Monica in 2003. This was the news on my arrival here in Lost Angeles. Sounds like he may be suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and I don't know why his defense attorneys didn't raise the possibility--especially since the disease sometimes makes people aggressive and violent, as well as confused and disoriented. 73 people were injured by Weller, who now faces up to 18 years in prison (if he lives so long). Here's a link to the LA Times story.
He also likes jihad-front Glenn Greenwald on the House NSA Vote
and NATO Kills Afghan Civilians
wishes Happy Ramadan!.. When I taught in Uzbekistan, you could see the students who fasted were quieter and less energetic during class.
interesting to know that "Islam is by far the dominant religion in Uzbekistan, as Muslims constitute 90% of the population while 5% of the population follow Russian Orthodox Christianity"
http://www.thejc.com/travel/travel-features/santa-monica-welcome-playground
Jewish Santa Monica
The first Jew arrived in Los Angeles in 1847 and in 1850, the US Census recorded eight Jews residing in Los Angeles County. By the early 20th century, some 2,500 lived in LA. Today’s Jewish population is around 668,000. Santa Monica has several synagogues and is close to the plethora of kosher restaurants lining Pico Boulevard in adjacent West Los Angeles. The Museum of Tolerance is nearby. Chabad runs the kosher Malibu Beach Grill at 22935 Pacific Coast Highwayhttp://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0013_0_12766.html
Santa Monica is one of a number of Jewish neighborhoods in Los Angeles
By 1968 Jewish mobility had brought an end to the formerly Jewish Boyle Heights, Adams Street, Temple Street, Wilshire District, and other areas of Jewish concentration. Jews settled in the western and newer sections of sprawling Los Angeles – Westwood, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills
Jewish Angelinos continue to enjoy pride of place in the finest sections of the city, including Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Westwood, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, and Pacific Palisades. The Fairfax area continued to contain the largest single concentration of Jews in the city; Encino/Tarzana are a very close second
LA Times
Driver Speaks of His Pain
As area churches offer prayers for the victims, the 86-year-old who plowed through the farmers market says he is heartbroken.
During a day of anguished services filled with prayers for victims and the driver in the Santa Monica Farmers' Market tragedy, the 86-year-old man who was behind the wheel issued his first public statement Sunday, calling what happened a "devastating accident." "There are no words to express the feelings my family and I have for those who suffered loss and pain ... " said George Russell Weller, in a statement read by his pastor, the Rev. Stephen C. Lien of Brentwood Presbyterian Church. "I am so very distraught, and my heart is broken over the extent of the tragedy.
A grimmer scene unfolded in Mission Hills, where scores of Iranian Jews at a small cemetery chapel shrieked in horror and thumped their chests as the coffins of Molok Ghoulian Nabatian and her 7-month-old grandson Brandon Esfahani Davidi were wheeled toward the graveyard, flanked by grim-faced men in black yarmulkes.
Nabatian, 63, was at the Santa Monica market Wednesday with Brandon and her daughter, shopping for vegetables for the Jewish Sabbath, when Weller's car barreled toward them. Nabatian's daughter Janet Davidi stepped aside to make a cell phone call. But Nabatian, who was wheeling Brandon in a stroller, was unable to get out of the way.
Most of the service for Nabatian and her grandson was conducted in Farsi, and organizers of the ceremony requested that reporters not question those who attended. But one of Nabatian's granddaughters spoke through choking tears in English of her respect for a woman who defied convention, recalling how Nabatian had recently opened a Persian phone book to show her how many Iranian women had become doctors and had been able to pursue both a career and a family, despite the concerns of traditionalists. "She didn't care what others said of her," the granddaughter said. "My grandmother did not have to conform.... Never once did I have to utter the phrase, 'This is America, not Iran.'
..church member Ken Wales conceded that the last few days had been difficult for the church, but he said the situation had been aided by the widely held conviction that Weller -- a former salesman who had helped start a family ministry at the church and tutored high school students -- is a fundamentally good man. "He's been a role model for all of us," Wales said.
- Janet Nabatian tried to answer her cellphone at the busy Santa Monica Farmers' Market July 16 at about 1:30 p.m., but the reception was so weak that she had to walk a ...
- The elderly man who plowed his car through an outdoor market, killing 10 people, made his first public comment Sunday, saying "my heart is broken over the extent of ...
- Driver Comments Through His Pastor, As Victims' Funerals Are Held
- Jul 20, 2003 · Hundreds sobbed and wailed as Molok Ghoulian Nabatian, ... from the close Iranian-American community gathered for the funeral of Nabatian and her ...
- Jul 20, 2003 · A memorial service was planned later Sunday for two of the victims, Molok Ghoulian Nabatian, 63, and her 7-month-old grandson, Brandon Davidi.
- What reason could there be, for instance, why a 63-year-old Iranian Jewish immigrant,Molok Ghoulian Nabatian, and her seven-month-old grandson, Brandon, .With 10 people killed and about 35 injured, this sun-washed city of 84,000 was left looking for explanations. What reason could there be, for instance, why a 63-year-old Iranian Jewish immigrant, Molok Ghoulian Nabatian, and her seven-month-old grandson, Brandon, were killed as the grandmother was looking through the market’s vegetables, searching for items for that week’s Sabbath dinner?“It’s like when a young child dies from a disease like cancer,” said Bloom. “There’s no explaining; there’s no way to comprehend it.”Grandmother and grandson were buried Sunday in Los Angeles; the Associated Press noted that hundreds of mourners from Southern California’s large Persian immigrant community attended the service, where a cloth Star of David draped the infant’s casket.About eight miles away from the tragedy in nearby Westwood, almost half of Rabbi David Wolpe’s Sinai Temple congregants are Iranian-American Jews. “They basically were, and are, sort of in deep mourning for the loss,” he said, “but I have not heard a lot of theological anger.”The Conservative synagogue’s Persians include an 87-year-old woman hit by the Buick and hospitalized with two broken legs and her neck broken in three places.The tragedy has required soul-searching to deal with a horrible event in which the culprit was not a terrorist or Klansman but an elderly Santa Monica resident, George Russell Weller, who said he thought his car’s accelerator was the brake.At Bloom’s Reform synagogue, Beth Shir Shalom, Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels borrowed from Isaiah to begin comprehending the devastation: “What shall I cry?
his oldest victim was Movsha Hoffman. A 78-year-old Lithuanian Jewish immigrant, Hoffman was Johnson’s tenant for years, and Hoffman’s wife, Esther, remains in serious condition at a local hospital after being hit by Weller’s car. Johnson said the elderly couple saw communism’s abject horrors as aberrations of the Soviet system, yet remained committed to socialism.Johnson said that the Hoffmans — like other Soviet-era Jews with socialist nostalgia — were Jewish, but “not in any great depth.” Their apartment door has a mezuza, and inside is a menorah. “Aside from saying, ‘We’re Jews,’ it’s not like they went to Chabad,” said Johnson, whose atheist-socialist wife (“I’m no longer Jewish,” she said) recalled Movsha Hoffman donating items to the local Hadassah thrift shop, which closed this spring after three decades of operation.While the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles oversaw the closure last summer of Santa Monica’s federation-funded Bay Cities Jewish Community Center, Santa Monica remains home to seven Jewish congregations, four of them Orthodox.
Read more: http://forward.com/articles/7753/soul-searching-follows-farmers-market-tragedy/#ixzz2bVejSEfh
.. Santa Monica Farmer's Market where a 2003 crash left 10 dead and 63 hurt, after an 87-year-old man's car accidentally roared through the market.
- found guilty of manslaughter
- LOS ANGELES, November 20, 2006 -- The man who killed 10 people and injured more than 70 others when he drove through the Santa Monica Farmers Market was …
- Feb 11, 2009 · George Russell Weller, 89, ... Weller said he had no idea how many people he hit. "But I'm deeply sorry for any pain that everyone went through," he said.
It will be three years on July 16th since 10 people were killed and 63 were maimed asSanta Monica octogenarian, George Russell Weller’s car crashed into the ...uly 04, 2006
Santa Monica Farmer’s Market Massacre Nearing 3rd Anniversary
It will be three years on July 16th since 10 people were killed and 63 were maimed as Santa Monica octogenarian, George Russell Weller’s car crashed into the popular and crowded Farmer’s Market.
Weller now 89 years old is a facing a September felony trial for 10 criminal counts of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the carnage. Authorities said early on that alcohol or drugs did not impair Weller.
Perhaps Weller who had no criminal history or even a traffic citation during his entire life was really impaired by his age. I don’t think we can ever know the truth.
Why is this old man charged with enough felony counts to keep a teenager behind bars for a lifetime? The allegation is that Weller’s deadly driving was somehow reckless or intentional.
- George Russell Weller (December 7, 1916 – December 9, 2010) was a retired salesman from Santa Monica, California, who gained notoriety as the motorist in a fatal ...
George Russell Weller
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. (January 2010) George Russell Weller Born December 7, 1916
Santa Monica, California, United StatesDied December 9, 2010 (aged 94) Charge(s) 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter Penalty Five years felony probation, $107,100 in fines Conviction status Deceased Occupation Salesman (retired) George Russell Weller (December 7, 1916 – December 9, 2010) was a retired salesman from Santa Monica, California, who gained notoriety as the motorist in a fatal car accident, fueling a national debate in the United States on safety risks posed by elderly drivers.On October 20, 2006, Weller was found guilty of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter after he drove his car through a crowded open-air marketplace in Santa Monica. The following month, the judge sentenced him to five years' felony probation, saying that Weller deserved to go to prison, but at nearly 90 years of age and suffering from heart disease, he would simply be a burden to taxpayers. He was also ordered to pay about $107,100 in fines and restitution.Contents
[hide]Santa Monica Farmer's Market incident
On the afternoon of July 16, 2003, Weller, then age 86, drove his car westbound down Arizona Avenue in Santa Monica toward the city's popular Third Street Promenade. The last few blocks of the street, before it ends at the ocean, had been closed to vehicle traffic for the biweekly farmers' market.Weller's car struck another car, then accelerated around a road closure sign, crashed through wooden sawhorses, and plowed through the busy marketplace crowd, traveling nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) at speeds between 40 and 60 mph (60 and 100 km/h). The entire sequence of collisions took at least 10 seconds.By the time the car came to a halt, ten people had been killed and 63 were injured. Weller told investigators he had accidentally placed his foot on the accelerator pedal instead of the brake, then tried to brake but could not stop. Days after the crash, Weller issued a statement saying he was distraught and heartbroken, and his attorney called it an accident.Some observers questioned Weller's account; numerous witnesses and victims reported:- Seeing no brake lights on Weller's car, which would indicate that he was not attempting to stop;
- Weller stared straight ahead as he drove through the crowd, with victims flying over his windshield;
- Weller angrily yelled from his car "Get out of the way!" as he hit pedestrians;[1]
- That Weller avoided parked cars and produce tables on both sides of the road, steering instead directly down the middle of the crowded street;
- Weller did strike one vegetable stand, "sandwiching" victims with shelves and structural components from the stand;[1]
- Weller's car came to a stop after hitting two parked cars;[1]
- That, upon exiting his car, cane in hand, Weller casually asked how many people he had hit; and
- That Weller also was heard to say, "If you saw me coming, why didn't you get out of the way?".
Weller's supporters[citation needed] argue that:- Weller suffered from arthritis, nausea as a side-effect of medication, and reduced mobility from a hip replacement.
- Weller had a relatively clean driving record at the DMV, with one minor accident and no violations. Weller had passed a vision test and written test on renewing his driver's license in November 2000.
- Since the tragedy resulted from a "misapplication" of the pedal, Weller had committed an accident, not a crime. "Pedal error cannot constitute negligence," stated Mark Overland, an attorney for Weller.
After he was found guilty of ten counts of vehicular manslaughter, the sentencing judge noted that Weller "showed enormous indifference" and "unbelievable callousness."[2]Aftermath timeline
The day of the tragedy in Santa Monica, footage of a previous accident Weller had been in ten years earlier surfaced. While that accident was not fatal, he had driven his car off the road in much the same fashion as the Promenade accident and the footage was nearly identical in that it showed a confused Weller wandering around his crashed car in a heavily populated, public area. This further sparked debate surrounding what warning signs authorities should examine when dealing with driving privileges and the elderly.On July 24, 2003, it was reported that state officials revoked Weller's driver's license.On January 5, 2004, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged George Russell Weller with ten counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, carrying a penalty of up to 18 years in prison. Weller's attorneys were ordered to surrender their client within 24 hours.On January 6, 2004, Weller pleaded not guilty to the charges before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paula Adele Mabrey and was released on his own recognizance.On January 14, 2004, victims and relatives filed suit against the City of Santa Monica and Bayside District Corp., organizers of the Santa Monica farmers' market, alleging that the accident could have been prevented by the installation of metal barriers. Attorney Geoff Wells, representing victims and their relatives, remarked that "[The defendants] failed to take any reasonable steps to provide protection for the patrons at the farmer's market."On October 25, 2004, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Katherine Mader convened a preliminary hearing to determine whether Weller would stand trial.On November 3, 2004, Weller was ordered to stand trial, and his arraignment was scheduled for November 17.On December 8, 2004, after a delay due to poor health, Weller was arraigned, again pleaded not guilty to the charges, and waived his right to a speedy trial.On March 18, 2005, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O'Neill denied a motion by Weller's attorneys to dismiss the manslaughter charges, remarking that "hitting the accelerator instead of the brake seems to me to be a clearly negligent act."On October 20, 2006, by a unanimous verdict, jurors found Weller guilty on all charges, convicting him of vehicular manslaughter for killing 10 pedestrians. The sentence was to be decided by the Court, with a maximum penalty of 18 years.On November 20, 2006, Weller received probation on all counts after a judge determined that Weller was too ill to go to prison, where he would likely be a burden on prison authorities and taxpayers. Weller was a month short of his 90th birthday. He was also ordered to pay more than $100,000 in fines and restitution to the victims' families.On May 22, 2008, the Los Angeles Times reported that the City of Santa Monica had thus far paid out $21 million to settle dozens of civil lawsuits stemming from the case. The same article also noted that Weller, age 91, was now confined to his home and receiving 24-hour nursing care.[2]In popular culture
Weller's accident was parodied in the South Park television episode titled "Grey Dawn".See also
Notes
- ^ a b c Eyewitness accounts from employees of NextEngine Inc. (2003-07-16 and 17)
- ^ a b Richard Winton and Martha Groves (2008-05-22). "Case is closed on deadly day at market". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
External references
- "Judge: Market crash driver too ill for prison". CNN.com. 2006-11-20.
- "Driver charged in fatal farmers' market crash". CNN.com. 2004-01-05. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- "SMPD Files Farmers' Market Case with D.A., Recommends Charge of Manslaughter". Santa Monica Mirror. 2004-12-23. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- Verhoeven, Peter (2005-01-05). "86-year-old man drove at speeds of 40 to 60 miles per hour into a crowd of people gathered at an outdoor Farmers Market in downtown Santa Monica". magnifiers.org. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- Herrera, Kevin (2006-06-24). "Judge Rules That Step Up On Second Must Also Stand Trial". Santa Monica Daily Press.
- Spano, John (2006-09-04). "Trial in market crash set to begin". The Los Angeles Times.
External links
“Dear Mr. Huang, Thank you for sharing your words of forgiveness toward George Russell Weller. I was severely injured in the accident, ...- Sep 04, 2006 · George Russell Weller News. Find breaking news, commentary, and archival information about George Russell Weller From The Los Angeles Times
- Oct 21, 2006 · George Russell Weller News by Date. Find breaking news, commentary, and archival information about George Russell Weller From The Los …
- Area Death Notice Weller, George Russell, 85, of Lake Worth, died Tuesday. Scobee-Combs-Bowden Funeral Home & Crematory, Boynton Beach.
- Area Death Notice Weller, George Russell, 85, of Lake Worth, died Tuesday. Scobee-
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