Market crash donations help heal lasting wounds
Only one $5,000 check needs to be distributed before a fund established by local business leaders for victims of the July 16 farmer’s market crash can be formally shut down.
More than $184,000 was raised by merchants and organizations over a three-and-a-half-month period in response to the local tragedy. The remainder of the proceeds have already been distributed to the families of the 10 people killed and dozens injured when Russell Weller drove through the bustling marketplace.
Since July 16, Weller has remained out of the public eye. Though his driver’s license was suspended, no criminal action has been taken and officials said they don’t know when the investigation, originally meant to be completed by the end of August, will be finished. The Santa Monica Police Department is still waiting on a report from the California Highway Patrol, which took over the investigation following the crash.
In the meantime, officials from the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, who set up the fund within 24 hours of the accident, are trying to find the father of Gloria Olivera Gonzalez, a 35-year-old Venice woman killed in the crash. Once they locate him at his home in Mexico, officials will formally close the emergency fund, which stopped accepting donations Oct. 31.
The fund raised enough money to give $5,000 to the family of each person who died, $7,500 each to 15 people seriously injured and $1,500 to 12 people whose injuries were considered moderate by police. Dozens more suffered minor injuries in the crash, but were not compensated so resources could go to the neediest, according to Kathy Dodson, the chamber’s executive director.
Several of those receiving money from the fund said it showed some good can come from even the most horrific of events.
“It’s amazing how generous people are in this country,” said Boris Hoffman, whose parents were struck by Weller’s 1992 Buick LeSabre as it sped through the crowded market. “People are complaining and criticizing this country, but they don’t know what they have until they come from somewhere else. It’s amazing — total strangers giving money.”
“People are complaining and criticizing this country, but they don’t know what they have until they come from somewhere else. It’s amazing — total strangers giving money.” — — BORIS HOFFMAN Son of market crash victims
Hoffman’s mother, Esther, 74, was released from a care facility and sent home five weeks ago. His father, Movsha, 78, died as a result of the crash. The couple had just celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on July 13.
“The wounds have healed, but I think the psychological wound is still there,” said Boris Hoffman, adding the donations his family received went towards medical expenses. “It doesn’t go away so fast. She (Esther Hoffman) is trying to get back into the new lifestyle that she has because she has been married to my dad for 55 years.”
Dodson said a wide variety of local businesses pitched in to make the relief fund a success. A cab company donated vouchers. A group of hotels offered free rooms. Employees from Santa Monica Place scraped together $10,000 and manned a volunteer table at the twice-weekly farmer’s market to collect additional funds. Two area grocery stores donated a portion of one day’s profits. Even an organization headed by actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson contributed $5,000 to the victims’ assistance fund.
“We dropped everything to take on this project, and it was really difficult to pull it all together and to pull it all together so quickly,” Dodson admitted. “There was a lot of emotion to deal with, but it was the most rewarding project I’ve ever worked on.”
“We dropped everything to take on this project...” — — KATHY DODSON Executive director, Chamber of Commerce
With just Olivera’s father left to find, Dodson said there is a “teeny-weeny” amount of padding remaining in the account that the chamber still needs to decide how to allocate. Once that’s completed, the account can be shut down and the fund, established as a corporation, formally closed.
Meanwhile, residents and victims are wondering when the crash investigation will conclude. SMPD Lt. Frank Fabrega said he doesn’t know when the CHP will hand over its report. Once it does, police will hand over the report and any additional information to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, where officials will decide what charges, if any, to press against Weller.
Boris Hoffman said he hopes Weller, who lives with his wife in a small home north of Montana Avenue, won’t be let off the hook without some form of punishment.
“Age has nothing to do with it,” he said. “To be honest with you, I think he should go to jail, whatever happens.
“No money in the world, if he has any, is going to bring back what happened.” Stairs to reopen next summer
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 14, 2003. Read the original PDF.