> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Weller will learn his fate today
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/weller-will-learn-his-fate-today/
- Published: 2006-11-20T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T23:08:10.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Crime, Downtown, #archive-import

*Weller awaits fate*

DOWNTOWN LA — The 89-year-old man convicted of killing 10 people and injuring more than 60 others in Santa Monica when he drove his car through a crowded Farmers’ Market three years ago is due to be sentenced this morning.

George Russell Weller faces a maximum sentence of 18 years in prison for his role in the Arizona Avenue crash on July 16, 2003\. His attorneys, family members and friends have requested he receive probation, given his advanced age and failing health.

Prosecutors are asking that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson send Weller to prison.

Weller, who was 86 at the time of the deadly crash, will not have to appear in court after being granted permission to remain at his Santa Monica home on 25th Street. The former food broker appeared in court just once during his four-week trial. He was convicted on Oct. 20 on 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

Following a minor traffic accident on Fourth Street, Weller drove his 1992 Buick LaSabre into the bustling Farmers’ Market on Arizona Avenue the day of the crash. Witnesses said Weller tried to flee the scene of the previous accident when he turned his car westward, and into the outdoor market.

Defense attorneys argued that Weller suffered from “pedal error” — a rare phenomenon whereby a panicked driver hits the accelerator instead of the brake pedal — and was confused and disoriented during the crash. They claimed it was an accident brought on by Weller’s inability to think clearly because of his advanced age.

Jurors ultimately sided with the prosecution, which argued that Weller had plenty of time to react and stop his vehicle.

Deputy District Attorney Ann Ambrose said Weller could have easily steered towards a parked truck, instead he chose to drive through “soft targets,” killing 10 people, including a 7-month-old boy.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 20, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/112006.pdf?ref=smdp.com)