Oct 18, 2006 4:15 pm US/Pacific
Accused SF Rampage Driver Said To Target Victims
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ―
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Omeed Aziz Popal
California DMV
Omeed Popal deliberately targeted San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood and the surrounding area when he allegedly ran down 18 people with his Honda Pilot in August, according to spokespeople for a woman turned quadriplegic in the incident.
Attorney Debra Bogaards and guardian Keith Stoneking both spoke for Susan Rajic, 43, Wednesday outside the courtroom in San Francisco where Popal made his fourth appearance on criminal hit-and-run charges without entering a plea.
Slideshow: S.F. Hit & Run Rampage
Aug. 29 Raw Video: S.F. Hit & Run Scenes, Witnesses Aug. 29 Coverage Of Driving Rampage 9-1-1 Calls In Hit-And-Run RampageStoneking said Rajic has only recently been able to read the news surrounding the events that occurred Aug. 29 in the northern part of the city.
He said she recognized a picture of Popal, a 29-year-old Fremont man, from the newspaper as someone who had tried to run her down a week earlier at Laurel and Sacramento streets near her home.
"She just thought it was another crazy driver in San Francisco," Stoneking said of Rajic's alleged first encounter with Popal.
Rajic sees Popal's face all the time in flashbacks and nightmares, according to Bogaards, who has filed a civil suit on Rajic's behalf seeking millions of dollars in medical costs and an undisclosed amount in punitive damages.
"She'll never be able to take care of herself again," said Bogaards, who disputes the claim that Popal is mentally unfit to stand trial.
Popal didn't say a word Wednesday in a courtroom filled with his family members.
He stood next to his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Sandy Feinland, who told Superior Court Judge Donna Allyson Little he had doubts that Popal could participate in a trial.
"The court is going to appoint a psychologist to determine whether Mr. Popal is competent to stand trial," Feinland said.
Popal's next appearance will be Friday in Department 27 of San Francisco Superior Court, 850 Bryant St., San Francisco.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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