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CNN Live Saturday
Farmer's Market Plans Memorial Later Today In Santa Monica
Aired July 19, 2003 - 12:15 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.
CALLEBS: New information today, in that deadly and terrifying accident at an outdoor market in Santa Monica, California. A source tells CNN the 86-year-old man who drove into a crowd of shoppers, collided with another vehicle only moments before. Our Miguel Marquez is at the scene of the accident where a memorial service will be held in just a few hours -- Miguel
MARQUEZ: How are you there, Sean?
Yes, the memorial will be going off about 12:15 Pacific Time, today. You can see the market's always open like it is every Saturday, a little like normal -- a little not like normal. We got here with the farmers this morning, which means early, as farmer's do, about 6:00 a.m. They were setting up like they do every Saturday. Farmers from all over California come set up their tents, putting out the best produce, vegetables, and flowers. They arrived here, certainly today, with pits in their stomachs and heavy hearts, for the most part, that we saw. We talked to a young woman who literally grew up at this market. Her mother runs it, for 22 years she's run it. She gave us an idea of the emotions in setting this market up, today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AVERY DEVENANZIO, SANTA MONICA MARKET: Some people are still very angry, some people are -- you know, in just the throes of grief. Some people are -- you know, kind of just dutifully -- hey, we have to go on. So, there's going to be a lot of different feelings and it's going to be very hard and I anticipate a lot more crying, but I think that -- you know, I think that all-in-all, it's the best thing that we can be doing, right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Sort of that silent resolve we're seeing here. A lot -- there is a lot of anger, there is a lot of frustration, but people are pretty resolved to get this thing back up and going. It is kind of an institution here, in Santa Monica. We also spoke to a farmer who was here on Wednesday. He set up in the exact same spot although today's setup was a tougher job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY DAVIS, FARMER: I don't know, there's kind of an emotional numbness that comes, too. I mean, even though you've seen everything happened and saw three people die right in front of you, it's like your mind doesn't hang on to all of that emotionally. I mean, I can still see it in my mind, but emotionally, it's just -- I don't know what your mind does with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: I don't know what any -- anyone's mind does with it, this incident was so horrible. The investigation into 86-year-old Russell -- Russell Weller continues and how all of this happened. CNN has confirmed, you mentioned this at the top, CNN has confirmed that there was a minor coalition with a Mercedes just yards before Mr. Weller's Buick entered the market. Just what this means to the investigation, though, isn't entirely clear. The other thing we're hearing from police today, is that we had earlier in the week there was over 100 witness testimony or statements that they were going to have to go through, now we're hearing it's in the thousands. So, thousands of people talking to police to tell them what they saw before that case can be turned over, by Santa Monica police, to the district attorney for possible manslaughter charges -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK. Miguel Marquez in Santa Monica, California.
Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Monica>
Aired July 19, 2003 - 12:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CALLEBS: New information today, in that deadly and terrifying accident at an outdoor market in Santa Monica, California. A source tells CNN the 86-year-old man who drove into a crowd of shoppers, collided with another vehicle only moments before. Our Miguel Marquez is at the scene of the accident where a memorial service will be held in just a few hours -- Miguel
MARQUEZ: How are you there, Sean?
Yes, the memorial will be going off about 12:15 Pacific Time, today. You can see the market's always open like it is every Saturday, a little like normal -- a little not like normal. We got here with the farmers this morning, which means early, as farmer's do, about 6:00 a.m. They were setting up like they do every Saturday. Farmers from all over California come set up their tents, putting out the best produce, vegetables, and flowers. They arrived here, certainly today, with pits in their stomachs and heavy hearts, for the most part, that we saw. We talked to a young woman who literally grew up at this market. Her mother runs it, for 22 years she's run it. She gave us an idea of the emotions in setting this market up, today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AVERY DEVENANZIO, SANTA MONICA MARKET: Some people are still very angry, some people are -- you know, in just the throes of grief. Some people are -- you know, kind of just dutifully -- hey, we have to go on. So, there's going to be a lot of different feelings and it's going to be very hard and I anticipate a lot more crying, but I think that -- you know, I think that all-in-all, it's the best thing that we can be doing, right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Sort of that silent resolve we're seeing here. A lot -- there is a lot of anger, there is a lot of frustration, but people are pretty resolved to get this thing back up and going. It is kind of an institution here, in Santa Monica. We also spoke to a farmer who was here on Wednesday. He set up in the exact same spot although today's setup was a tougher job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY DAVIS, FARMER: I don't know, there's kind of an emotional numbness that comes, too. I mean, even though you've seen everything happened and saw three people die right in front of you, it's like your mind doesn't hang on to all of that emotionally. I mean, I can still see it in my mind, but emotionally, it's just -- I don't know what your mind does with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: I don't know what any -- anyone's mind does with it, this incident was so horrible. The investigation into 86-year-old Russell -- Russell Weller continues and how all of this happened. CNN has confirmed, you mentioned this at the top, CNN has confirmed that there was a minor coalition with a Mercedes just yards before Mr. Weller's Buick entered the market. Just what this means to the investigation, though, isn't entirely clear. The other thing we're hearing from police today, is that we had earlier in the week there was over 100 witness testimony or statements that they were going to have to go through, now we're hearing it's in the thousands. So, thousands of people talking to police to tell them what they saw before that case can be turned over, by Santa Monica police, to the district attorney for possible manslaughter charges -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK. Miguel Marquez in Santa Monica, California.
Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Monica>
