‘Lucked Out’ on DMV Test

George Russell Weller felt he was lucky that he didn’t have to pass a driving test the last time his California license was renewed, he told police after he drove through the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, killing 10 people and injuring more than 60 three years ago.

Weller, now 89, told police that he took a written test, but wasn’t required to show that he could drive safely.

“I lucked out,” Weller said.

In a two-hour videotaped interview with police shortly after the crash, Weller expressed remorse for the damage he did, but also confusion and disorientation. He stated repeatedly that he did not know what happened. His lawyers say he suffered a catastrophic incident of “pedal error” -- pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.

Weller appeared calm but frail as he sat in a small room at the Santa Monica Police Department headquarters for the interview about 80 minutes after he drove his 1992 Buick through more than 800 feet of the market along Arizona Avenue.

“I passed the written test, high enough to where they didn’t ask me to take a drive, particularly at my age. But I was ready to if they wanted to,” Weller said.

Weller, who is on trial on 10 counts of manslaughter, repeatedly expressed sorrow, laughed three times and fidgeted with his cane.

It was an especially gruesome day, as jurors viewed death photos of eight of the 10 victims. Their injuries “were consistent with highway speeds,” said Supervising Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Rogers of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

Ashen-faced jurors heard accounts of the victims’ injuries: six skull fractures, four spinal fractures, three pelvic fractures, five cases of broken ribs, two punctured spleens, two punctured livers, five cases of cranial bleeding, a punctured lung and five broken legs. In four of the victims, the skull was separated from the spine, Rogers testified.

The Weller case led to renewed debate over elderly drivers. Drivers in California must take a written test every five years. Those over 70 must appear in person at a DMV office for a written test and a vision test.

If Weller “had appeared confused, or had problems getting around, or had been disoriented, our examiners are trained to look for this stuff. If he had shown any kind of red flags we probably would not have relicensed him. But he passed,” Steve Haskins, an agency spokesman, said by telephone.

In 2005, the Department of Motor Vehicles revoked or suspended privileges for lack of skill of 10,405 people. The agency ended driving privileges for an additional 34,869 people for physical or mental impairment. Weller voluntarily surrendered his license after the crash.

The video provided a break from the steady stream of photographs of the scene. But afterward, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ann Ambrose called as a witness Parvaneh Davood, who spoke through a Persian interpreter.

Davood walked slowly to the witness stand, with obvious difficulty and pain.

Ambrose projected a photo that jurors have seen almost daily: A woman lies broken on the pavement after rescuers lifted Weller’s car to free her.

“Do you recognize that woman?” Ambrose asked.

Davood hesitated, and then responded, “Is it me?”

She was asked to list her injuries.

“On both my arms, my bones were showing. My right shoulder and one of my arms is shorter than the other one. There’s metal inside that’s holding my arm to my shoulder. I can only raise it up to here,” she said, indicating eye level. “All of my back was burned because of the hot fuel that got on me,” she said.

“In my pelvic bone, I had a fracture. My left foot and leg were fractured. I had six broken areas or fractures in my left leg. And there’s metal inside.”

Testimony resumes today.

john.spano@latimes.com