Wounds as Yet Unhealed by Time

Shoppers packed the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, buying daisies, tasting strawberries and filling plastic bags with ripe avocados.

But beneath the cheerful banter and brisk business, the images of what happened along Arizona Avenue one year ago remained painfully clear for victims, merchants and patrons.

The injured and survivors of the dead said the passage of time has not helped them understand the sudden and senseless tragedy. They said the one-year anniversary, which is Friday, has created even more anxiety and sadness.

Just before closing time on July 16, 2003, George Russell Weller drove his Buick LeSabre past a road-block sign and through the marketplace, killing 10 and injuring 63 and turning the weekly shopping ritual into a horrific scene.

Those who were there remember the speeding car, which left only destruction in its path. One of them still jumps at the sound of a racing engine. Another cannot forget the sight of produce stands toppling, one after another. Another still can feel the light summer rain that blanketed the carnage and chaos.

Parvaneh Abrishamian said she still has trouble accepting the loss of her mother, Molok Ghoulian. The more time that goes by, she said, the more she misses her, and the more she wishes she could pick up the phone and call for advice.

“Her voice is in our heads and her smile is on our faces, but we miss her being there,” she said. “She was a comfort to all of us.”

The deaths of a husband-and-wife filmmaking team -- Diana and Kevin McCarthy -- have left a hole in their family, said Diana’s brother, David Gong. With the anniversary coming, Gong said he has tried to focus on the positive memories and tried to forget the day of the crash. But it’s not easy, he said.

“Every time July comes around, it’s going to have a different meaning for all of us,” Gong said.

On Wednesday morning, a crowd gathered at the market for a brief interfaith service to mark the anniversary. With songs and hugs, they prayed for the dead and injured and vowed to move forward.

“We do not come here and forget,” Viva Tomlin of the Bahai community of Santa Monica said to the group. “We come here to live, to taste the flavors of the marvelous produce, to see the colors, to smell the fragrance, to enjoy the company of friends old and new.”

A service of remembrance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday at the First Presbyterian Church at 1220 2nd St., sponsored by the Santa Monica Bay Interfaith Council.

Despite last year’s tragedy, Fred Kosmo said the market continues to be a “place of happiness and goodness.”

Standing behind apples, nectarines and peaches, the 68-year-old farmer said that even though he can still picture the devastation of that day, he returns to the market week after week -- and will continue to do so.

“This is what I do,” said Kosmo, who lives in Oxnard. “Life goes on.”

Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom said the tragedy at the 23-year-old market taught a lesson in the “fragility of human life and how unpredictable events can occur to anyone.”

Weller, 87, faces 10 charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Prosecutors say he negligently drove his car nearly 1,000 feet through the market, coming to a stop only because of rolling friction and a body trapped beneath his vehicle.

A retired salesman who lives in Santa Monica, Weller has pleaded not guilty. His defense attorneys say an undiagnosed heart condition caused him to lose control just before the crash.

“Mr. Weller and his family continue to be overwhelmed by the impact of the accident,” said Jim Bianco, one of his lawyers.

Weller’s nephew, Robert Bone, said the last year has been devastating for his uncle. “[His] empathy for everyone has always been there,” Bone said. “It’s just almost palpable now again.”

The crash prompted calls for stricter testing and licensing of elderly drivers, and led sons and daughters to take car keys from their aging parents. The Department of Motor Vehicles is studying a program that would evaluate physical or cognitive impairments that might affect driving at any age.

There is no provision for reporting a driver simply on the basis of old age, because state law considers that discrimination. But the DMV can reexamine a driver -- and potentially suspend a license -- if it receives notice from a family member, a doctor or police about possible health problems that could affect safe driving.

Throughout Wednesday morning, shoppers drew pictures and jotted notes of support and sympathy on large poster boards: “Faith, Strength and Forgiveness.” “We remember one year later with sadness and love.”

Colleen Morris found herself in the midst of the carnage. She tried to revive a victim -- Lynne Weaver -- but the woman died in her arms.

“No one should ever have to experience that,” she said. “It’s something I will never forget.”

One vendor, David Schack, said he remembers the tragedy only as a blur. As he unpacked various flavors of goat cheese Wednesday, Schack shook his head and said, “It never should have happened.”

Mark Miller, who came to the market Wednesday, arrived last year just before closing time to buy basil, bell peppers and avocados.

When he saw produce and tables flying, he tried to jump out of the way. But Weller’s car struck him, inflicting a concussion, a dozen broken teeth and two broken legs, injuries that kept Miller in a wheelchair for five weeks.

“You couldn’t re-create that scene if you were a movie director,” said Miller, a filmmaker. “It was that horrible -- like a bomb went off.”

Miller said he knows how close he came to being killed. It’s a realization that has changed his life, giving him a deeper appreciation for family and friends. It was by the “grace of God,” Miller said, that he was allowed to wake up and start healing.

Holley Hankinson had gone to the market searching for white nectarines and saw a car coming out of the crowd. The next thing she remembers is waking on the ground.

She had suffered a fractured cheek, a broken tooth and bruises. Hankinson said she is grateful to be alive and thankful for the compassion of strangers who helped her that day. But she no longer shops at the market.

Miller and Hankinson are among several plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against Weller and the city of Santa Monica.

“There is a part of me that feels like it just happened yesterday, and another part of me feels like it happened so long ago,” Hankinson said. “It’s always there.”