SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - For the first time, the driver involved in the "Zombie Walk" hit-and-run collision in the Gaslamp Quarter is telling his side of the story.
Matthew Pocci, the 48-year old driver, is deaf. He gave an interview online, and used sign language to explain why he plowed through a parade of Comic-Con zombies.
Online videos of the so-called "Zombie Walk hit-and-run have gone viral on YouTube. They show Pocci first honking his horn, then eventually plowing through the Zombie Walk parade in the Gaslamp Quarter.
In an interview posted online by iDeafNews, Pocci says he had been volunteering at Comic-Con, and that his girlfriend, her sister and her son were also inside the car.
"I didn't know it was a Zombie Walk. I couldn't move my car and then there were a bunch of people walking by," Pocci said through an interpreter.
"I decided to open the window and asked this man who was wearing a Spiderman shirt what was going on with the parade and when it will be done. He was laughing at me and said that the parade is still on and that I should stay put and wait," he said.
The driver says he started honking his horn so he could pass through, and became scared after two men sat on the hood of his car.
"I moved my car and honked the horn. One guy got angry and punched the front window. There was a back door that was opened where my girlfriend's sister was sitting. I got scared. That's when I plowed my car through the crowd," Pocci said.
The video shows what happens next. A 64-year-old woman ends up on the ground with serious injuries to her arm.
"I didn't know that I hit the old lady at that time. All I was thinking about was my family. I knew I had to get out of the situation. My family had to come first. Our safety was my priority," Pocci said.
Pocci says he feels terrible about hitting the woman. He says he panicked, and had no time to react.
"After that, I couldn't sleep well for the next few days. I cried a lot. I have become more emotional about it lately. She is all I can think about," he said. "I mean, I would have asked her if I could cover her medical bills and make sure she was okay."
So far, the driver of the vehicle has not been charged with any crime. The name of the victim has not been released.
San Diego police say the investigation is still ongoing, and will take some time.