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CNN Live At Daybreak
Multiple Deaths in California Farmer's Market Accident
Aired July 17, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: What to do with a seemingly befuddled elderly man who reportedly claims, I stepped on the gas instead of the brakes. That's what police in Santa Monica are facing this morning, after a runaway car barreled into a farmer's market. Nine are now dead; more than 50 others hurt.
To California now and this report from CNN's Dan Lothian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The weekly Santa Monica farmer's market, just minutes from closing, suddenly erupts into chaos.
GREG GRAEFF, WITNESS: I saw a triage going on, probably about 40 people. I got all the way down to the other end where the car was. The car was wrecked up pretty bad, a dead body in front, covered. I've never seen anything like it. It's totally incredibly.
LOTHIAN: Police say an 86-year-old man, behind the wheel of a fast-moving 1992 Buick he claims he couldn't stop, plows through three-and-a-half blocks of a crowded street closed to traffic.
LORE CAULFIELD, WITNESS: It was like a Sherman (ph) tank barreling through, hitting everything, just going right over people.
ERIC LEONARD, REPORTER: There's fruits and vegetables jammed into some of the broken pieces of the car, shoes laying on the top of the car and the airbags went off. There's also a dead body laying right in front of the car, and that's where the police say the driver finally stopped.
LOTHIAN: Vendors and shoppers became victims, a trail of death, destruction and disturbing scenes, even difficult for the city's police chief to talk about.
CHIEF JAMES BUTTS, JR., SANTA MONICA POLICE: They were confronted with the single most devastating accident scene that I've ever witnessed in 30 years of law enforcement.
LOTHIAN: At least 100 emergency crews and police responded. Some victims were treated on the scene; others were rushed immediately to area hospitals.
An overwhelming task in a beachside community, stunned by the damage caused by one fast-moving car. (on camera): Police say the driver tells them that he saw the market, but simply couldn't stop, apparently pressing the gas pedal instead of the brakes. He has been questioned extensively and released without charges, but authorities say he could face negligence charges in the future.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Santa Monica.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: As for what the driver, 86-year-old Russell Weller, has to say for himself, his attorney did it for him by reading this statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM BIANCO, WELLER FAMILY ATTORNEY: Mr. Weller and his family want to express their deepest sympathies to the victims and their families of the tragic accident earlier today. This was an unintentional and unfortunate accident. Mr. Weller is very shaken up, but his thoughts tonight are with the victims and their families.
In light of the ongoing investigation, in which we are cooperating fully, we would decline to make any further statements at this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We'll have much more on this incident when we take you live to Santa Monica. That will happen in about 30 minutes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired July 17, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: What to do with a seemingly befuddled elderly man who reportedly claims, I stepped on the gas instead of the brakes. That's what police in Santa Monica are facing this morning, after a runaway car barreled into a farmer's market. Nine are now dead; more than 50 others hurt.
To California now and this report from CNN's Dan Lothian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The weekly Santa Monica farmer's market, just minutes from closing, suddenly erupts into chaos.
GREG GRAEFF, WITNESS: I saw a triage going on, probably about 40 people. I got all the way down to the other end where the car was. The car was wrecked up pretty bad, a dead body in front, covered. I've never seen anything like it. It's totally incredibly.
LOTHIAN: Police say an 86-year-old man, behind the wheel of a fast-moving 1992 Buick he claims he couldn't stop, plows through three-and-a-half blocks of a crowded street closed to traffic.
LORE CAULFIELD, WITNESS: It was like a Sherman (ph) tank barreling through, hitting everything, just going right over people.
ERIC LEONARD, REPORTER: There's fruits and vegetables jammed into some of the broken pieces of the car, shoes laying on the top of the car and the airbags went off. There's also a dead body laying right in front of the car, and that's where the police say the driver finally stopped.
LOTHIAN: Vendors and shoppers became victims, a trail of death, destruction and disturbing scenes, even difficult for the city's police chief to talk about.
CHIEF JAMES BUTTS, JR., SANTA MONICA POLICE: They were confronted with the single most devastating accident scene that I've ever witnessed in 30 years of law enforcement.
LOTHIAN: At least 100 emergency crews and police responded. Some victims were treated on the scene; others were rushed immediately to area hospitals.
An overwhelming task in a beachside community, stunned by the damage caused by one fast-moving car. (on camera): Police say the driver tells them that he saw the market, but simply couldn't stop, apparently pressing the gas pedal instead of the brakes. He has been questioned extensively and released without charges, but authorities say he could face negligence charges in the future.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Santa Monica.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: As for what the driver, 86-year-old Russell Weller, has to say for himself, his attorney did it for him by reading this statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM BIANCO, WELLER FAMILY ATTORNEY: Mr. Weller and his family want to express their deepest sympathies to the victims and their families of the tragic accident earlier today. This was an unintentional and unfortunate accident. Mr. Weller is very shaken up, but his thoughts tonight are with the victims and their families.
In light of the ongoing investigation, in which we are cooperating fully, we would decline to make any further statements at this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We'll have much more on this incident when we take you live to Santa Monica. That will happen in about 30 minutes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
