Evo Street Racers: Street Racing Accidents

Rarely have I gone out to cover a non-breaking story in which I experienced more emotions in one day. In the space of a few hours, I went to a police storage lot and saw the wreckage (airbags still deployed) of a car driven by a Riverside 16-year-old during a street race last October.

On the ground beside the car was the mangled wheelchair of the mother of two who was killed when this car went out of control during a race on a city street. Later, I would interview the brother of the woman who died and then the young driver of the car.

Both are appearing together in high school assembly programs to warn about the dangers of street racing. Street racing is now a big, deadly problem in California, and officers are trying to get young people to balance the momentary excitement of the race against the permanent damage it can do to so many people.

Insider Viewpoints

If you're street racing in Southern California, look out. [A] Seattle PI article has all the details on a new plan that's leaving piles of broken glass—and plenty of broken hearts—in its wake.

In an effort to stop illegal street racing, the cops down there are straight up crushing cars of people caught in the act. Personally, I think that you have to have rocks in your head to race on the street—that's what tracks are for.

But this is going, way, way, way too far. In some cases, they aren't even waiting to catch people racing, just having a busted tail light or hanging out at a place "where local racers gather" is enough legal ammo for them to thoroughly investigate every nut and bolt on your ride.

If they find a missing serial number on any part, that's it. Your ride is taken to the crusher. I wonder if this gives the cops legal authority to search, say, every car at Hot Import Nights?

--Excerpt taken from CarDomain Blog’s “Street Racers Face Crushing Losses in SoCal” Article by John

Here's a new way officials are trying to deal with street racers: Crush their beloved cars, in front of them. Leave it to the Inland Empire:

“Charles Hoang winced when the whoosh went out of the tires. Daniel Maldonado took pictures with a digital camera as glass exploded and rained down to the ground…

“They both watched helplessly as the cars they had so meticulously souped up and tricked out were crushed and turned into metal pancakes as part of a crackdown on illegal street racing in Southern California…Six vehicles were destroyed at an auto graveyard as local law enforcement ramped up enforcement against illegal street racing, which is responsible for or suspected in 13 deaths in Southern California since March.

“The thrill-seeking, adrenaline-pumping activity is rampant in Riverside and San Bernardino counties east of Los Angeles, where rows of tract homes line wide streets ideal for racing. Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested for investigation of street racing activities over the past two years in San Bernardino County alone. That includes spectators, as well as drivers. (AP)”

--Excerpt taken from Los Angeles Times’ Bottleneck Blog’s “Crushing Street Racing” Article