AgonYx0
07-17-2003, 11:46 PM
LOS ANGELES (July 17) - One day after an 86-year-old man lost control of his car and barreled for three blocks through a crowded street market in Santa Monica, the number of dead rose to 10 on Thursday as police weighed possible charges against the driver.
Among those killed at the popular farmers' market in Santa Monica, a beach suburb of Los Angeles, were a three-year-old girl, a 7-month-old boy, a married couple, and the daughter-in-law of actor Dennis Weaver.
At least three dozen others were hurt, 15 of them critically, when the maroon Buick LeSabre driven by George Russell Weller crashed through wooden sawhorses and careened down the closed-off street.
The retiree has not been charged with a crime but police searched his home for evidence that his driving abilities were impaired.
Santa Monica Police Chief James Butts told ABC's ''Good Morning America'' that investigators also believe that Weller had on at least two recent occasions struck the back of his garage with his car while parking.
Witnesses said Weller appeared dazed when he stepped from his car after it plowed through the midday crowd of shoppers. Blood tests showed he was not under the influence of prescription drugs or alcohol.
Weller had driven away from a nearby post office and realized too late that the street had been closed, police said. He told investigators that he tried to stomp on the brake but apparently hit the accelerator instead.
The grim accident has renewed a debate over elderly drivers, who according to state statistics are more likely to be involved in serious accidents than younger motorists when miles driven are taken into account.
In 1999 a California legislator proposed a law requiring driving tests for those over the age of 75 who sought to renew their licenses. The bill was proposed after 15-year-old Brandi Mitock was struck and killed in a Santa Monica crosswalk by a 96-year-old man.
RENEWED DEBATE OVER AGING DRIVERS
But after complaints of age discrimination by seniors groups the legislation was revised to instead target motorists deemed at risk because of medical conditions. References to elderly drivers were stripped from the bill.
The Daily News of Los Angeles reported that Weller, who had hip-replacement surgery several years ago, renewed his license in 2000 after passing vision and written exams and was not asked to take a driving test.
California Highway Patrol Commissioner ****e Helmick said the state should find a way to more closely monitor older motorists.
''I think at some point over 75 years of age, people should start looking at it,'' Helmick told reporters. ''I know people who are 76 are going to scream at me. It's not going to be very popular. But I think I better get out on the end of this diving board and make a stance.''
Cheryl Matheis, a national spokeswoman for the American Association of Retired Persons, said the group supports improved screening for medical conditions that could impair driving skills but did not endorse setting an age limit. She said a driving test might not have disqualified Weller, who has been described by friends as mentally sharp.
''We are now facing the first generation of people who have driven their whole lives,'' she said. ''They live in the suburbs and they cannot conduct their lives without driving because there are no transportation alternatives. We need also to look at the bigger picture and see what we can do to solve that.''
Bonnie Dobbs, a University of Alberta professor who has studied aging drivers, agreed that laws should focus on certain ''red flag'' medical conditions and not certain age groups. But she said people of advanced age often suffer from cognitive impairment, which puts them at risk while driving.
''The thing that puts this (accident) out of the range of normal is the fact that it occurred over three blocks,'' Dobbs said. ''You would suspect that the average individual, if they had stomped on the gas instead of the brakes, would be able to recover. The fact that this individual did not suggests that there is something going on.''
Among those killed at the popular farmers' market in Santa Monica, a beach suburb of Los Angeles, were a three-year-old girl, a 7-month-old boy, a married couple, and the daughter-in-law of actor Dennis Weaver.
At least three dozen others were hurt, 15 of them critically, when the maroon Buick LeSabre driven by George Russell Weller crashed through wooden sawhorses and careened down the closed-off street.
The retiree has not been charged with a crime but police searched his home for evidence that his driving abilities were impaired.
Santa Monica Police Chief James Butts told ABC's ''Good Morning America'' that investigators also believe that Weller had on at least two recent occasions struck the back of his garage with his car while parking.
Witnesses said Weller appeared dazed when he stepped from his car after it plowed through the midday crowd of shoppers. Blood tests showed he was not under the influence of prescription drugs or alcohol.
Weller had driven away from a nearby post office and realized too late that the street had been closed, police said. He told investigators that he tried to stomp on the brake but apparently hit the accelerator instead.
The grim accident has renewed a debate over elderly drivers, who according to state statistics are more likely to be involved in serious accidents than younger motorists when miles driven are taken into account.
In 1999 a California legislator proposed a law requiring driving tests for those over the age of 75 who sought to renew their licenses. The bill was proposed after 15-year-old Brandi Mitock was struck and killed in a Santa Monica crosswalk by a 96-year-old man.
RENEWED DEBATE OVER AGING DRIVERS
But after complaints of age discrimination by seniors groups the legislation was revised to instead target motorists deemed at risk because of medical conditions. References to elderly drivers were stripped from the bill.
The Daily News of Los Angeles reported that Weller, who had hip-replacement surgery several years ago, renewed his license in 2000 after passing vision and written exams and was not asked to take a driving test.
California Highway Patrol Commissioner ****e Helmick said the state should find a way to more closely monitor older motorists.
''I think at some point over 75 years of age, people should start looking at it,'' Helmick told reporters. ''I know people who are 76 are going to scream at me. It's not going to be very popular. But I think I better get out on the end of this diving board and make a stance.''
Cheryl Matheis, a national spokeswoman for the American Association of Retired Persons, said the group supports improved screening for medical conditions that could impair driving skills but did not endorse setting an age limit. She said a driving test might not have disqualified Weller, who has been described by friends as mentally sharp.
''We are now facing the first generation of people who have driven their whole lives,'' she said. ''They live in the suburbs and they cannot conduct their lives without driving because there are no transportation alternatives. We need also to look at the bigger picture and see what we can do to solve that.''
Bonnie Dobbs, a University of Alberta professor who has studied aging drivers, agreed that laws should focus on certain ''red flag'' medical conditions and not certain age groups. But she said people of advanced age often suffer from cognitive impairment, which puts them at risk while driving.
''The thing that puts this (accident) out of the range of normal is the fact that it occurred over three blocks,'' Dobbs said. ''You would suspect that the average individual, if they had stomped on the gas instead of the brakes, would be able to recover. The fact that this individual did not suggests that there is something going on.''