On Feb. 29 at 5:19 p.m., a group of five teenagers were walking westbound on Howard Ave. near Clarendon Rd. when 18-year-old Aragon senior Omeed Adibi allegedly drove his black Mercedes SUV up onto the sidewalk hitting four of the five boys, one dodging out of the way, according to prosecutors.
Adibi then struck a fire hydrant and drove away from the scene, dragging the fire hydrant in front of him. When he stopped at the 800 block of Burlingame Ave. and exited the car to remove the hydrant, citizens kept him there until police arrived, prosecutors said.
One 12-year-old victim suffered a traumatic brain injury and is in critical condition at Stanford Medical Center, and one of the 13-year-old victims suffered a spinal injury and lung bruising, prosecutors said. The other two injured victims suffered foot fractures and foot soreness, prosecutors said.
Adibi mistakenly believed victims had earlier vandalized his car, prosecutors said. Adibi told police someone had put dog poop in his SUV, so he hit the boys because he thought they did it. In reality, his friends were the people who set up the prank, reported NBC Bay Area.
Adibi was arrested on charges of felony hit-and-run and attempted homicide. He was booked with driving under the influence, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, reported the Mercury News.
The San Mateo-Foster City School District was very saddened to hear of the events. Their hearts go out to all of the students and families involved, said SMFCSD Communications Coordinator Dianne Willoughby.
Whenever there is an incident involving SMFCSD students, leadership and crisis teams monitor the situation closely, Willoughby said. The SMFCSD comes together as a community and provides counseling services to students and staff as needed.
On March 3, the case was set in Redwood City Felony Court by Commissioner Ernest Halperin for the initial felony arraignment, prosecutors said.
Adibi’s bail was set at $25 million, and he remains in custody, according to prosecutors.
The Private Defender Program was appointed, and Adibi pleaded not guilty to all charges and did not waive his right to a speedy preliminary hearing, prosecutors said.
The case was set for a preliminary hearing on March 16 at 9 a.m. in the South San Francisco courthouse, according to prosecutors.
