Concord SUV kills father, daughter riding bikes CONCORD Driver, 17, faces 2 felony counts, said to be speeding

Two of the three bicycles lay on the sidewalk, as the investigation of the scene continues after a 17-year-old male driver from Concord is being charged with manslaughter when the vehicle he was driving hit 3 bicyclists on Treat Blvd. at Oak Grove in Concord, Ca. killing a father, Soliaman Nuri, and his 9-year-old daughter Hodees Nuri, and leaving a second daughter, a 12-year-old with minor injuries, on Saturday April 7, 2012. less Two of the three bicycles lay on the sidewalk, as the investigation of the scene continues after a 17-year-old male driver from Concord is being charged with manslaughter when the vehicle he was driving hit 3 ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Concord SUV kills father, daughter riding bikes 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

A Concord man and his 9-year-old daughter, out for a bike ride on a sunny Saturday morning, died after a 17-year-old boy lost control of his Cadillac Escalade, careened into the cyclists and then slammed into a medical office building, police said.

Witnesses said the boy, whose name is not being released because of his age, was speeding when the Concord crash occurred. He has been booked on suspicion of two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter.

A second sister, a 12-year-old whose name was not released, also was struck, but authorities described her injuries as minor and she is expected to survive. The cyclists were not on the roadway but were riding on the sidewalk along Treat Boulevard, a busy six-lane street, near Oak Grove Road.

"It was horrible," said Mark Lucas, who manages an oil-change business across the street. "I heard a boom and ran outside. I saw the SUV roll over maybe four or five times and heard kids screaming."

The 41-year-old father, identified by police as Solaiman Nuri, was an Afghan immigrant who arrived in Concord about five years ago by way of New York City. He drove a truck and volunteered as a youth soccer coach for his younger daughter's team, friends said.

His daughter who died, Hodees Nuri, was a third-grader at Woodside Elementary School.

Onlookers recall chaos

Witnesses described a chaotic scene with water from a fire hydrant that was sheared off by the sport utility vehicle gushing into the air as people rushed to help the victims. Some onlookers rushed to a nearby fire station and banged on the door shouting for help. Emergency crews arrived within seconds, but by the time they got there, the father was already dead. His younger daughter was transported to the John Muir Medical Center, where she died a short time later.

Hours later, the three crumpled bikes lay on the sidewalk as police investigators tried to piece together what happened.

Nuri's wife, the girls' mother, is a nurse at John Muir Medical Center. She was not on duty when her daughters were brought in.

"Every Saturday, they go bike riding. This Saturday, he asked his wife and she said, 'I'm tired. I will make breakfast for you guys,' " Naheda Zafari, a close family friend, said Saturday evening, still weeping.

The victims and suspect all live in Concord.

Lucas, one of the first on the scene, said he often saw the family out cycling. "Here you have a father spending time with his girls, enjoying a Saturday-morning bike ride. It's tragic."

The suspect was arrested and booked after being treated at the hospital for minor injuries. He is in the county's juvenile facility in Martinez while the Contra Costa district attorney decides whether to charge him as an adult or juvenile, Concord Police Lt. Bill Roche said from the scene.

While authorities would not identify the suspect because of his age, his friends said he is a student at Olympic Continuation High School.

Police are investigating whether the teen was driving under the influence. Investigators also are trying to determine whether he may have been talking or texting on his cell phone.

'Very shocked and scared'

Witnesses told police that the driver appeared to be moving at an excessive speed and lost control of the vehicle, a white 2002 Cadillac Escalade, shortly after he crossed through the intersection. The impact left a gaping hole in the front of the car.

Adam Gartside, 18, who described himself as a good friend of the driver, said the suspect called him right after the crash and they spoke briefly. "He was very shocked and scared," Gartside said. "He liked to drive fast, but I never thought he'd crash. He loved that car."

Word of the calamity swept quickly through Concord.

"This community is just so close," said Shannon King, whose daughter, 9-year-old Sydney, was a classmate of Hodees, who also is known as Hadessa.

As King spoke, Sydney looked at the Woodside yearbook she showed a visitor in her living room, and pointed to photos of Hodees. One showed the girl, dressed in purple with a big purple bow, smiling. Another showed her arm in arm with friends, grinning.

"Fun. Active. Lovable. Always happy," was how Sydney described her friend. "She loved to run on the grass, play on the monkey bars."

Friends said her father shared the same upbeat disposition.

"I cannot explain. He was one of the best, best guys. Every time you see him, you would see a smile on his face," said Amin Zafari, a fellow Afghan immigrant who coached soccer with him. "That was a disaster for everybody, not because we know him, but because he was one of the best human beings. Two beautiful girls. I really can't believe it."