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CNN Live Today
Farmer's Market Crash
Aired July 17, 2003 - 10:02 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: One witness compared the devastation to the ferocity of a tornado, but this tragedy was entirely manmade. An 86-year-old driver was behind the wheel of a car that became a juggernaut as it plowed through a farmer's market in Santa Monica, California. At least nine people are dead, dozens are injured, and charges could be pending.
Let's go now and get the very latest from CNN's Miguel Marquez who is reporting live this morning -- Miguel.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you there, Leon?
Yes, this thing is just absolutely tragic here. This farmer's market happens every Wednesday out here in Santa Monica. It's a very popular attraction. Thousands of people come from all over Southern California to attend. There were apparently more children out here yesterday, because it is summer vacation, after all. The market was just winding down yesterday afternoon when a maroon Buick went careening through three blocks, a little over three blocks, of the market, striking person after person. One of the nine killed was a 3- year-old girl, unfortunately.
The person apparently responsible is 86-year-old Russell Weller. He had just left the post office, say police. And then he told police later that his foot may have slipped off the brake and onto the gas.
Police are now speaking to about 100 witnesses and processing physical evidence at the scene. Once of all that is done, they're going to turn it over to the district attorney's office.
I talked to the police chief of Santa Monica a little earlier today. He gave us his impression of Mr. Weller out here at the scene and just what might happen in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JAMES. T. BUTTS, JR., SANTA MONICA POLICE: When I arrived on the scene, he was ambulatory, he could walk. He was talking. He seemed confused to me, but he'd been through one of the most tragic crashes that I've ever seen. And I think at the end of the day we're going to find a driver that had diminished capacity, and whether that's going to rise to the level of manslaughter, that's going to be for the district attorney to ascertain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) house last night. They were looking for any evidence that they might have to indicate that he was of diminished capacity of any sort. They said that they didn't come up with anything other than the garage of his home seemed to have been hit by his car. The chief wasn't sure whether that meant anything in the case right now. They believe it's going to take another week -- two to three weeks before the evidence is processed to turn it over to the D.A. -- Leon.
HARRIS: Miguel Marquez reporting live for us from Santa Monica this morning. Appreciate that.
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 - 10:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: One witness compared the devastation to the ferocity of a tornado, but this tragedy was entirely manmade. An 86-year-old driver was behind the wheel of a car that became a juggernaut as it plowed through a farmer's market in Santa Monica, California. At least nine people are dead, dozens are injured, and charges could be pending.
Let's go now and get the very latest from CNN's Miguel Marquez who is reporting live this morning -- Miguel.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you there, Leon?
Yes, this thing is just absolutely tragic here. This farmer's market happens every Wednesday out here in Santa Monica. It's a very popular attraction. Thousands of people come from all over Southern California to attend. There were apparently more children out here yesterday, because it is summer vacation, after all. The market was just winding down yesterday afternoon when a maroon Buick went careening through three blocks, a little over three blocks, of the market, striking person after person. One of the nine killed was a 3- year-old girl, unfortunately.
The person apparently responsible is 86-year-old Russell Weller. He had just left the post office, say police. And then he told police later that his foot may have slipped off the brake and onto the gas.
Police are now speaking to about 100 witnesses and processing physical evidence at the scene. Once of all that is done, they're going to turn it over to the district attorney's office.
I talked to the police chief of Santa Monica a little earlier today. He gave us his impression of Mr. Weller out here at the scene and just what might happen in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JAMES. T. BUTTS, JR., SANTA MONICA POLICE: When I arrived on the scene, he was ambulatory, he could walk. He was talking. He seemed confused to me, but he'd been through one of the most tragic crashes that I've ever seen. And I think at the end of the day we're going to find a driver that had diminished capacity, and whether that's going to rise to the level of manslaughter, that's going to be for the district attorney to ascertain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) house last night. They were looking for any evidence that they might have to indicate that he was of diminished capacity of any sort. They said that they didn't come up with anything other than the garage of his home seemed to have been hit by his car. The chief wasn't sure whether that meant anything in the case right now. They believe it's going to take another week -- two to three weeks before the evidence is processed to turn it over to the D.A. -- Leon.
HARRIS: Miguel Marquez reporting live for us from Santa Monica this morning. Appreciate that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
