Here in Chicago, we haven't had more then a few weeks of warm weather yet, and already we've had several deaths that were the direct result of illegal street racing. Even as I'm typing this, there is a developing story on ABC7 News about two cars (one filled with women) that were completely destroyed in what appears to be a high speed street race. One car is completely wrapped around a street pole and the other has the entire side smashed in. Report states that they was a third car involved that stopped, then fled the scene when sirens were heard. :(

Story is still in progress :sad:

Heres an update:

http://a.abclocal.go.com/images/wls/cms_exf_2005/news/local/wls_041306_crash_200.jpg

April 13, 2006 - A Chicago teenager was killed and four others were seriously injured when a car slammed into a pole this morning on Chicago's West Side. Witnesses say two cars were traveling a high-rate of speed. Police are investigating the accident.

Investigators say a 17-year-old girl was driving with four other female passengers in her car when she slammed into a light pole in the 2500-block West Roosevelt at about 1 a.m. Four female passengers were taken to the hospital in critical condition. The 17-year-old driver was killed in the crash.

"Somebody had got killed, all that boom. That's when I seen the car hit the wall, big cloud of smoke came up. Kids in the car," said Clarence Tucks, witness.

Investigators are saying that witnesses told them a blue Ford car was also in the vicinity when the accident happened, but that vehicle fled the scene when they heard the police sirens.

Earlier this week there was deadly accident similar to this one in Gary, Indiana. Four people were killed when two vehicles were going at a high rate of speed and one spun out of control and crashed into a crowd of people. The driver of the car that crashed was injured. Police are still looking for the driver of the other car.

Witnesses in both accidents say the drivers were drag racing but police have not confirmed that.

At least the paper found the most literate guy to interview......

And thankfully nobody innocent got hurt

Another needless death. But the question is: What can we do to stop it?

When I was a kid I use to street race also. The differance is I use to go out in the boonies and do it. At least if something bad happened, we wouldn't hurt inocent bystanders.

And thankfully nobody innocent got hurtMy thoughts exactly. It doesn't bother me too much when Darwin is hard at work, but when they take out innocent, un-involved people, that I have a problem with.

Another needless death. But the question is: What can we do to stop it?

When I was a kid I use to street race also. The differance is I use to go out in the boonies and do it. At least if something bad happened, we wouldn't hurt inocent bystanders.

Well the difference too, at least for us, was we used to do stoplight to stoplight drags with speeds not getting too crazy. Nowadays they want to to do some Formula One style high speed Fast and Furious Grand Theft Auto long distance race on the interstate.

The breeders are seeing to it that there aren't any boonies anymore. :rolleyes:

My thoughts exactly. It doesn't bother me too much when Darwin is hard at work, but when they take out innocent, un-involved people, that I have a problem with.

I like the idea of approaching it this way: New law - if you are involved in illegal street racing and you crash and kill an innocent bystander, you go to prison for a very very long time. Basically, if a 17 year old girl kills someone while street racing, she has just ruined her life. Couple this with a massive media campaign spelling this out, so that teens are well aware of the consequences of their actions, and then (here's the tricky part) have politicians and prosecutors with the nads to actually put someone like that in prison. But we will always be fighting the invincibility complex that teenagers have (can't happen to me!), so maybe that won't work? I dunno, I'm just wondering where the parents are during all this.
andy

I'm just wondering where the parents are during all this.
andy

thats easy .... their at work paying for that hopped up rice burner the kid is lead footing all over town !!

For those of you who grew up in the late 60/early 70's and had hot cars, were there street racing deaths?

Sometimes I wonder if the problem is really any worse not than it's ever been, or do we just hear about it more now due to media coverage

Yes, all but, more from drinking and driving.
Some were a combination.
I swear, some guys had a death whish.
Two in particular, would get all drunked up and race to work.
Yup, first thing in the morning thier drunk.
They would pass on blind curves, up hills, accross double yellow
lines, around 7 or eight vehicles at a time at speeds in excess of 90 mph.
I didn't know they did this stuff and I rode to work with one, once.
Found my own way home.
Another two had Kawasaki 1000 street bikes.
They would race from one bar to the next.
160+ mph at times.
When I was 16, my neighbor had a cherry 67 chevelle w/396 dual quads
etc, etc. He bought it on Saturday and Monday he was in the hospital lucky
to be alive. Wrapped it around a telephone pole and broke both leggs
his pelvis and crushed his spine. Took him hears to rehabilitate.

My thoughts exactly. It doesn't bother me too much when Darwin is hard at work, but when they take out innocent, un-involved people, that I have a problem with.

If you're watching, you're not innocent, un-involved ! You're just as guilty.

When you deliberately expose yourself to danger, don't expect people to feel bad if you get hurt !

We're pussyfying our kids today to think that they don't need to be responsible for themselves.

If you go to watch a street race and get killed, it's your own fault. Period. You've put yourself in that arena ! Take responsibilty for your actions.

I like the idea of approaching it this way: New law - if you are involved in illegal street racing and you crash and kill an innocent bystander, you go to prison for a very very long time. Basically, if a 17 year old girl kills someone while street racing, she has just ruined her life. Couple this with a massive media campaign spelling this out, so that teens are well aware of the consequences of their actions, and then (here's the tricky part) have politicians and prosecutors with the nads to actually put someone like that in prison. But we will always be fighting the invincibility complex that teenagers have (can't happen to me!), so maybe that won't work? I dunno, I'm just wondering where the parents are during all this.
andy

Not all bystanders are innocent !

If you wanna run with the bulls and you happen to get killed, it's nobody's fault but your own.

Stories I have heard from my dad make me think things were just as bad in the 70's.

Stories I have heard from my dad make me think things were just as bad in the 70's.

Form what I've heard.. they were :(

What can we do? .. do whatever it takes, maybe make laws strong enough to be a deterrent AND inforce them, maybe make parents responsible for what their kids do.

The 16 year old that killed a incent bystander while racing here last week was an illegal immigrant with no license. (We shouldn't have allowed him to be here in the first place, but that's another problem.)
They were racing on the interstate, in traffic.
The man he killed was one of our high school coaches.

We used to drag race in the streets some but it was nothing like now and not many people even did it back then.
We would drive way out to where there was nothing, no traffic, no buildings, no spectators. But, looking back now it was still stupid to do it then too.
I can't remember ever hearing of a death caused by drag racing back then but I do remember some of the kids in our neighborhood who's deaths were caused by driving too fast.
One of my good friends, was with me the night before she was killed.

Well one thing is for sure. Even though cars were bigger and more steel then todays cars are. You crash in todays car with Airbags and crumple zones you have a much better chance on surviving a crash then in an older car. So based on that, it wouldnt supprise me that street racing deaths were just as bad back then too.

Yeah, even I can't seem to think back in the 60's/70's with all of the high performance muscle cars roaming the streets that there weren't street races that ended in car accidents....heck why did the insurance companies start jacking up the prices in the early 70's again???

The breeders are seeing to it that there aren't any boonies anymore. :rolleyes:

Yup....cornfields have long since turned into housing developments.....

I remember being Young & stupid.. driving cars that went way to fast & having to prove it to others doing the same thing.... BUT most of our racing was in middle of no where & no bystander on the curb watching & on top of that most of time the race was over in less then an 1/8 mile ... not some long drawn out Indy 500 style thing thru the streets in town !! as I remember most muscle car Insurance claims were for accidents Involving one car & a curb - light pole - parked something ....... :(

Yup....cornfields have long since turned into housing developments.....

...and you NEVER have the road to yourself anymore!

I don't care how far out of town you are, I don't care if it's the middle of the night, I can't seem to have the road to myself for more than 30 seconds anytime, anywhere, anyhow. It didn't used to be that way.

High beams are practically obsolete! I call 'em "a***ole magnets", because the instant I flip 'em on, somebody appears from out of nowhere.

And some still don't turn them off when they see another oncoming car approaching...at which time (if I'm nice) I'll flash mine....otherwise look for my finger....:D