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American Morning

Street Market Crash

Aired July 17, 2003 - 07:04   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn to the tragedy in Santa Monica, California. Nine people dead this morning after a car driven by an 86-year-old man plowed through a crowded street market. More than 50 people were injured yesterday, many of them critically.
CNN's Miguel Marquez is with at the scene in Santa Monica for us this morning.

Good morning to you -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

This is a farmer's market here. It used to be a farmer's market. Today, it's still a police scene.

It all started about three blocks down Arizona, ended about where we're standing now. The how's and why's of it all are still being investigated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): It looked like a twister had ripped through a Santa Monica street, a trail of dead and injured after a car plows through a farmer's market.

LORI CAULFIELD, MARKET FARMER: It looked like a Sherman tank barreling through, hitting everything, just going right over people.

MARQUEZ: The man behind the wheel: 86 years old. He told police he tried to stop his car, but he couldn't.

Among the dead: a 3-year-old girl.

CHIEF JAMES T. BUTTS, JR., SANTA MONICA POLICE DEPARTMENT: And they were confronted with the single most devastating accident scene that I've ever witnessed in 30 years in law enforcement.

MARQUEZ: Hundreds of witnesses could only watch as the man hit person after person for more than three blocks. Some witnesses said his speed was excessive, and it appeared, if anything, he was accelerating.

GREG GRAEFF, WITNESS: I saw a triage going on, probably about 40 people, 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 incredible. MARQUEZ: On the roof of the car, two shoes and a cucumber, a disturbing reminder of what had been only moments before a peaceful day at a seaside farmer's market.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And we're learning a bit about the man who apparently did this, 86-year-old Russell Weller. He was taken to the hospital last night. A blood test was done on him. It didn't show any signs of alcohol or drugs, legal or not, in his system. He also told police, during questioning a little while later after that, that he tried to stop his car but couldn't. The question is: Why? -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Miguel, we've heard that he had a valid driver's license. But what was his driving record like? Obviously, they're going to investigate that today. Do we have any indication this early on?

MARQUEZ: We don't have a lot of information on his driving record right now. We do know that he did have a valid driver's license. He has said very little so far.

His attorney did come out and speak last night. Let's listen to a little bit of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM BIANCO, WELLER FAMILY ATTORNEY: This was an unintentional and unfortunate accident. Mr. Weller is very shaken up, but his thoughts tonight are with the victims and their families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: This is an absolute tragedy out here. This farmer's market attracted thousands of people every week, every Wednesday here in Santa Monica, and I'm sure it's going to be a while before it's back up and running in all of its glory -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Miguel, those pictures are really just devastating. Thanks for that report -- Miguel Marquez at the scene in Santa Monica for us this morning.

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 - 07:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn to the tragedy in Santa Monica, California. Nine people dead this morning after a car driven by an 86-year-old man plowed through a crowded street market. More than 50 people were injured yesterday, many of them critically.
CNN's Miguel Marquez is with at the scene in Santa Monica for us this morning.

Good morning to you -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.

This is a farmer's market here. It used to be a farmer's market. Today, it's still a police scene.

It all started about three blocks down Arizona, ended about where we're standing now. The how's and why's of it all are still being investigated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): It looked like a twister had ripped through a Santa Monica street, a trail of dead and injured after a car plows through a farmer's market.

LORI CAULFIELD, MARKET FARMER: It looked like a Sherman tank barreling through, hitting everything, just going right over people.

MARQUEZ: The man behind the wheel: 86 years old. He told police he tried to stop his car, but he couldn't.

Among the dead: a 3-year-old girl.

CHIEF JAMES T. BUTTS, JR., SANTA MONICA POLICE DEPARTMENT: And they were confronted with the single most devastating accident scene that I've ever witnessed in 30 years in law enforcement.

MARQUEZ: Hundreds of witnesses could only watch as the man hit person after person for more than three blocks. Some witnesses said his speed was excessive, and it appeared, if anything, he was accelerating.

GREG GRAEFF, WITNESS: I saw a triage going on, probably about 40 people, 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 incredible. MARQUEZ: On the roof of the car, two shoes and a cucumber, a disturbing reminder of what had been only moments before a peaceful day at a seaside farmer's market.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And we're learning a bit about the man who apparently did this, 86-year-old Russell Weller. He was taken to the hospital last night. A blood test was done on him. It didn't show any signs of alcohol or drugs, legal or not, in his system. He also told police, during questioning a little while later after that, that he tried to stop his car but couldn't. The question is: Why? -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Miguel, we've heard that he had a valid driver's license. But what was his driving record like? Obviously, they're going to investigate that today. Do we have any indication this early on?

MARQUEZ: We don't have a lot of information on his driving record right now. We do know that he did have a valid driver's license. He has said very little so far.

His attorney did come out and speak last night. Let's listen to a little bit of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM BIANCO, WELLER FAMILY ATTORNEY: This was an unintentional and unfortunate accident. Mr. Weller is very shaken up, but his thoughts tonight are with the victims and their families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: This is an absolute tragedy out here. This farmer's market attracted thousands of people every week, every Wednesday here in Santa Monica, and I'm sure it's going to be a while before it's back up and running in all of its glory -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Miguel, those pictures are really just devastating. Thanks for that report -- Miguel Marquez at the scene in Santa Monica for us this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.