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Parents of suspect express grief for car-crash deaths

Daniel Attias, standing with wife Diana, expresses how "devastated and heartbroken we are for everyone that has been affected by this very horrible tragedy"

From CNN Correspondent Anne McDermott

SANTA BARBARA, California (CNN) -- The parents of the college student accused of using his car to kill four pedestrians expressed their grief Tuesday to the parents of the victims and to the community.

Shortly after their son, David Edward Attias, was granted a delay of arraignment, Daniel Attias, standing beside his wife, Diana, read a statement to reporters.

"We're both just struck by just how hopelessly inadequate any words could be," he said. "On behalf of my wife, I just want to say how devastated and heartbroken we are for everybody who's been affected by this."

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Fighting back tears as his wife sobbed quietly by his side, he continued, "It's a very horrible tragedy and we know that it's affected not just the loved ones and the families of the victims, whose grief must be unspeakable, and we extend whatever compassion we're capable of. But we know it has also left a terrible, terrible gash in this whole community and we can't begin to tell you how saddened we are."

A 13-count felony complaint was filed Monday charging David Attias, 18, with four counts of murder, four counts of gross vehicle manslaughter while intoxicated, four counts of driving under the influence of drugs causing great bodily injury, plus additional counts for alleged victims who survived the crash.

In a court appearance lasting only a minute Tuesday, his attorney, Robert Sanger, asked for and was granted a delay of the arraignment until March 6. David Attias did not speak.

He was returned to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he is being held without bail.

This amateur video shows Attias being detained after he fought with students at the scene of Saturday's fatal crash

Attias was speeding Friday night in the Isla Vista community -- adjacent to the University of California-Santa Barbara campus -- when he veered to the right, sideswiping nine cars with his 1991 Saab sedan, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol said.

Four pedestrians beside the cars -- three men and one woman -- were declared dead at the scene. A fifth, a 27-year-old San Francisco man, was taken to a hospital with severe injures.

Two of the dead were 20-year-old UCSB students. A third victim was a student at Santa Barbara City College, and the fourth fatality was a visitor from San Francisco.

Authorities said Attias fought students who tried to hold him until police arrived.

College student charged with murder for car crash
February 26, 2001
Driver kills 4 pedestrians in California
February 24, 2001

University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Isla Vista Tragedy

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