Dave Oyler added a couple of miles to his daily walk Monday morning so he could bring flowers to the spot where Solaiman Nuri and his daughter Hadessa were killed. He thought about them all weekend.
"I'm an old dad; I've got a 7-year-old son so it made me, you know, hug him a little extra at night and kiss him and really reflect on, you know, this Easter holiday what's important," Oyler said.
Nuri and his two daughters were on a Saturday morning bike ride when they were hit by a Cadillac SUV. His 11-year-old daughter survived the crash. His wife had skipped the bike ride and instead stayed home to make the family breakfast. One of the girls' teacher's aides says the school community just loves the nuri family.
"Hadessa was always energetic, happy and so smart, so beautiful and friendly; my heart breaks for all the kids at Woodside because I know this is going to be a big loss," Kristin Birdwell said.
Police say the 17-year-old driver was speeding when lost control of the SUV. ABC7 is not releasing his name because he is a juvenile. Police have collected witness statements, physical evidence and cellphone records to give to the district attorney's office; prosecutors will then decide whether to pursue charging him as an adult. The driver is booked on two charges of vehicular manslaughter. If that's the only crime he is charged with, it is not eligible for transfer to adult court.
"It has to fall under a list of enumerated crimes and vehicular manslaughter is not one of those enumerated crimes," senior deputy district attorney Dan Cabral said.
Assault with a deadly weapon is on that list and that is a charge that could be an option because the 11-year-old was also hurt in the crash. The district attorney could also ask the judge to determine if the driver should be charged as an adult; there are numerous factors that would be taken into consideration if that happens.
The driver suffered minor injuries in the crash. ABC7 spoke briefly Monday to the driver's father. He had no comment, except to indicate he too is very upset by what happened Saturday.
The prosecutor has until Tuesday evening to file charges against the boy. With a case so complicated, he doesn't expect to meet that deadline, so it's possible the driver could be released and then re-arrested, when charges are filed.
