SANTA MONICA “”mdash; Hundreds of mourners stood quietly at the
intersection of Third Street and Arizona Avenue on Saturday,
braving the noonday sun to attend a ceremony commemorating 10
victims killed by a car that drove through the farmers’
market there July 16.
Some cried.
Others simply stood in silence, gazing from face to face.
And though the streetlight continued its rotation overhead,
cycling from green to yellow to red, little else moved.
A woman stood with one fist over her mouth, her head bent as the
names of the victims were announced by religious leaders and
members of the community.
The youngest victim of the crash was seven months old; the
oldest was 78.
Speakers at the memorial honored those killed, as well as dozens
who were injured, when 86-year-old Russell Weller drove through the
market July 16.
Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom said though Santa Monica
remains scarred by last week’s incident, it was time to move
on.
“We will heal this community “¦ (and) find a way to
rise up from our grief, but always with the memory of what’s
happened here in our hearts and in our souls,” he said.
As the memorial service drew to a close, people dispersed
slowly. Nearby, piles of flowers lay in a semicircle as part of a
colorful memorial.
“I think there’s something beautiful about this
ceremony today,” said Gene Ferriter, a 43-year-old astrologer
from Santa Monica, with a plum in one hand and a flower in the
other. “It’s life-affirming.”
And life did go on at the farmers’ market, which reopened
Saturday despite the incident on July 16.
At one end of the market, a man sweeping the street greeted a
vendor, who smiled while handing orange slices to a passerby.
Saturday’s scene stood in stark contrast to that of
Wednesday afternoon when witnesses said the streets resembled a war
zone, with bodies strewn along the road as people screamed and
sirens blared.
Peter Epstein, a 52-year-old precious metals dealer from Santa
Monica, was working nearby when the 1992 Buick hurled through the
market last week.
“I saw debris flying, people screaming,” he
said.
Epstein said he hurried outside and tended a man who was stuck
under a purple tent and suffering from a severe head injury.
Epstein said he held a bandage over his head, trying to stop the
bleeding.
A paramedic arrived after several minutes and upon checking the
man’s pulse, pulled a tarp over his body, Epstein said.
“”˜Are you sure he’s dead?'”
Epstein recalls asking the paramedic. “He said, “˜Yes,
I’m sure.'”
Halil Parlar, a 70-year-old peach vendor from Santa Monica,
stood at the center of the market Saturday, asking people to sign a
petition to install barricades at both ends of the street on days
when the market is open.
No such barricades were in place Saturday, and Parlar said if
preventive measures aren’t taken, last week’s tragedy
could occur again.
At least 11 patients were still receiving treatment Sunday. As
of July 18, seven victims remained hospitalized at UCLA medical
facilities.
Police said they are investigating Wednesday’s incident as
if it were a crime. However, Santa Monica Police Chief James Butts
said last week the question may be whether Weller was capable of
driving.
Weller released his first public statement Sunday which said,
“My heart is broken over the extent of the
tragedy.”
He said Wednesday’s incident may have occurred because he
mistakenly hit the gas pedal of his car instead of the brake.
On Saturday, Mick Alene, 47, stood at the heart of the market,
bent over a posterboard. Using a blue marker, he wrote a message
for the victims.
Alene works for a technology company and lives close to the
farmers’ market.
“I’m glad they reopened,” Alene said, adding
that he, like many others, felt coming to the market and attending
the memorial provided a sense of closure.
But even with the smell of watermelons and sausages in the air
again, some patrons said the pain of Wednesday’s incident
lingered, casting a shadow over an already overcast day.
“It’s kind of sad, gloomy to see,” said David
Ren, 20, a student at Santa Monica College who lives down the
street.
“It feels different,” he said.
With reports from Daily Bruin wire services.