The four teens that were seriously injured by an 18-year-old motorist who intentionally plowed into them with his SUV in Burlingame late February are on the path to recovery, according to District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
The most seriously injured victim, now a 13-year-old, has been discharged from Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, and is no longer listed as being in critical condition, Wagstaffe said. The teen is walking, eating and talking again and is in outpatient therapy, he added.
The other three injured victims have recovered from their injuries and are at home while a fifth victim was not injured as he had jumped out of the way of the SUV, Wagstaffe said. All victims were teenage boys and students at a San Mateo school.
The teens were hit by an SUV while walking westbound on Howard Avenue near Clarendon Road 5:15 p.m. Feb. 29. San Mateo resident Omar Adibi was allegedly driving the SUV at the time and targeted the teens because he believed they had vandalized his car, Wagstaffe said. Investigations have revealed the victims were innocent of any vandalism and that it was actually Adibi’s friends who tampered with his SUV as a prank, Wagstaffe said.
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Wagstaffe said prosecutors are still investigating other factors that may have motivated Adibi to allegedly commit the crime, including mental illness.
After striking the teens, Adibi drove away from the scene dragging a fire hydrant that he had also crashed into during the attack, Wagstaffe said. Adibi then stopped his car on the 800 block of Burlingame Avenue to remove the fire hydrant when several bystanders who had witnessed the attack stopped him and held him until police arrived, Wagstaffe said.
Adibi faces five counts of attempted premeditated murder, which makes him eligible for a prison sentence ranging from 35 years to life, Wagstaffe said, noting each count comes with a sentence of seven years to life in prison.
Adibi is currently in custody on $25 million bail.
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