1 Dead, 2 Injured in Car Crash; Police Suspect Drag Racing

[strtrcr50]

This is why I hate goddam ricers. Just saw this on the news. It's 4 blocks from where my girlfriend got hit by a civic streetracing and put her in the hospital.. Every friday, saturday and sunday night, looks just like the fast and furious at the hess station on the corner of 61'st and passyunk ave. 17 sec cars as far as the eye can see. Farking idiots should take their pos's to the track
:Track:

1 Dead, 2 Injured in Car Crash; Police Suspect Drag Racing

Last Edited: Sunday, 12 Aug 2007, 4:55 PM EDT
Created: Sunday, 12 Aug 2007, 4:50 PM EDT

Police are investigating a deadly crash Saturday night on 61st Street between Passyunk and Lindbergh which killed a teen and injured two passengers. By Robin Taylor
Philadelphia --

In Southwest Philadelphia, there's a stretch of road where drag racing is a real problem. Neighbors say it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt. Saturday night, rescue workers pulled a man who later died from the crumpled wreckage of a crash.

The deadly crash happened on 61st Street between Passyunk Avenue and Lindbergh Boulevard.

"I had a feeling someone got killed when I saw the tape," said Rich Liganeri who passed by on his way home.

Police say two cars collided around 12:30 in the morning, crashing into a utility pole.

Investigators suspect the cars were drag racing. One of the drivers, a 19-year-old was killed, while two passengers were badly hurt.

"They think it's an amusement ride and they're going to walk away like a superhero if something happens and it doesn't work that way," Liganeri said.

The crash comes as no surprise to neighbors who are tired of 61st Street being turned into a raceway.

Terry Fleming says it's especially bad on weekends. "Cars racing back and forth, motorcycles, we hear it everyday."

The city put in rumble strips to try and slow speeders down, but that hasn't stopped the problem.

Neighbors say when the police come, the drag racers go away, but as soon as the police leave they're back at it again, making 61st Street a very dangerous stretch of road to travel at night.

Julia Rawls lives near Lindbergh Boulevard and says it's frightening. She comes home from work around 10:30 at night and by then they're already drag racing. She's worried she's going to get caught up in it. "Yea I worry. I be scared."

Another one of her neighbors, George Gudzan, had a close call that scared the living daylights out of him. "I was coming up and they was behind me racing." "What did you do?" "I pulled over to the side of the road because I didn't want to get hit."

While neighbors are saddened by what happened, they hope the crash serves as wakeup call to those who consider drag racing fun.

"They're just kids being kids, but it's a shame something like this had to happen," said Liganeri.

The name of the young man who was killed is not being released.

The two people who were injured are in stable condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

[grey5.0beast]

I seriously think the honda drivers don't go to the track bc they are afraid of how slow they run. Being completely honest here, but talking to a few ricers at my school, that's what I get out of it...

 

[niklid05]

well i guess the old saying "speed kills, drive a honda" can be thrown away.

 

[iwashmycar]

darwin.T

 

[foxmustangman]

I seriously think the honda drivers don't go to the track bc they are afraid of how slow they run. Being completely honest here, but talking to a few ricers at my school, that's what I get out of it...

Yeah. I'm the prez of the Drag Racing club at my school. Trying to get all these kids with 'fast' cars to join but they just cant for some odd reason.

 

[RS200]

Look at the ages. Not much else matters. Inexperience at speed in any car can be lethal. Almost all of the street racing death articles I've seen have been people 20 and under.

 

[powertrax91]

:Track: it's that simple

 

[Daggar]

I didn't read the whole story but it appears that the only injuries in this case were da two yutes.

Good riddance to them, if that's the case.

 

[QUICK91LX]

i reckon that blue car is an audi. when will these kids learn?

 

[ryan218]

Yeah. I'm the prez of the Drag Racing club at my school. Trying to get all these kids with 'fast' cars to join but they just cant for some odd reason.

my school wont even consider haveing a drag racing club at our school..... you should see the back end of our parking lot....its burnout central every friday at 9...

 

[Boss 351]

I didn't read the whole story but it appears that the only injuries in this case were da two yutes.

Good riddance to them, if that's the case.

I agree 100% if only they could just kill each other and not hurt anyone else, I'd be happy... Glad to see that some states and provinces are crushing these ricer POS cars. It's not a friendly stop light to stop light thing anymore for them... Racing from a roll has got to be the dumbest freaking ricer invention yet.

 

[25thmustang]

Only ricers race from rolls?

The last deadly crash around here was a Mustang guy in a town two over from mine. Not a roll race, but a high speed race through residential streets. Needless to say the Mustang owner is gone.

I agree, when the ones performing the crime get injured or killed I don't feel that bad for them, but the families and friends still have to live with it. But to generalize and say it is only the ricers doing this, thats a little much. In my area it is probably split even between ricers, and "muscle car" owners doing the racing. The ricers seem to do it in more congested areas, but I am sure that changes where you live. That and the ricers seem to be a younger crowd, which might lend itself tot hat stereotype.

 

[strtrcr50]

About 2 years ago, something similar happened around the corner from that on essington ave. A VW jetta racing a civic swerved into oncoming traffic and killed the oncoming driver. He was charged with vehicular manslaughter. And RS200, yes, they were young. The reason I'm calling ricer here is because I'm down there alot(never to race). It's blocks from my GF's house. It's always imports getting in accidents and it's ALWAYS kids with their visors turned sideways, window washer lights, triple stacked wings, fart cannons, etc.. Even on the domestic 4 cylinders. No V8's since the F&F movies came out. I tend to agree with the darwin theory, but I don't even understand why they race down there. The cops are pretty heavy, the roads suck and have traffic on them, and the one place they go that's semi Ok(Holstein Rd in an industrial complex) ALWAYS has cops back there. Atco raceway is only a half hour from there.

 

[Boss 351]

doesn't the track offer some sort of "street racing event"... We have one here on friday nights, it only costs 5 bucks to get in. Ricers can fart their cars to their hearts content and be safe.

 

[Goober89]

you know its funny how you guys tell these ricers to take it to the track, and then some of you will come back in and complain bout how they shouldnt be at the track at all. Not accusing any one here of it, just stating a fact is all. Pesonally i think they shouldnt be racing those stupid a** cars anyway. they were built for women and daily driver cars that are good on gas. just my opinion though. I dont think they should be at the track either.

 

[strtrcr50]

But to generalize and say it is only the ricers doing this, thats a little much. In my area it is probably split even between ricers, and "muscle car" owners doing the racing. The ricers seem to do it in more congested areas, but I am sure that changes where you live. That and the ricers seem to be a younger crowd, which might lend itself tot hat stereotype.

I'll see what I can do about getting some pictures down there on a friday/saturday night. I'd paypal you a couple bucks for every mustang, camaro, vette, chevelle, nova, etc.. that you could find. It's the ricers here.
It's not generalizing here. Its a fact.

 

[Boss 351]

V8 owners here will blip the throttle here and there to make some noise, they do 0 to speed limit REAL fast from a traffic light but nothing too dangerous, stuff guys have been doing since the 50's such as pulling sideways out of an intersection (not an all out burn show but you know, blip the throttle and slide the rear a little - nothing fancy our crazy).

RICERS on the other hand; they will do real street races going waaaay faster than the speed limit, they seem to think zig-zaging in traffic like a PS3 game is fun. Race on the highway from a roll, the starting speed being the speed limit itself. I've seen more than a few do a "burn show" by leaning their front tires on a sidewalk (or cement stop). Imagine if they actually get over the cement and end up in the street in front of them? They have fun trying to drift their FWD POS cars with the handbrake in parking lots with parked cars - they don't even have the sense to find an empty lot. They will gladly dump the clutch at revv limiter to spin for a 10 feet for so, j-drop their POS cars everywhere (go in reverse, and slamn into first while the car is still going backwards).

This weekend, I was following my cousin and uncle (69 Cougar and 83 Capri) and some idiot in a black CRX started to tailgate me. HE would slow down, then floor it. I think he was trying to impress me or something. If he would have touched my car, I would have badly hurt the kid, I carry a metal bar just for that occasion. I wouldn't see another V8 guy do that. A V8 guy would have maybe blipped the throttle at me and give a thumbs up. Sure there are V8 ricers but they are RARE, I think you can get in a lot more trouble with a RWD V8 than you can a FWD 150hp POS grocery getter. So the idiot V8 drivers seem to "disappear" quicker

In quebec, there are a lot more ricer deaths than muscle car owners. I think the ricers are beating the speedbikes in death tolls. Too bad there are so many ricers, if they could all just kill themselves, I'd be happy.

 

[ryan218]

doesn't the track offer some sort of "street racing event"... We have one here on friday nights, it only costs 5 bucks to get in. Ricers can fart their cars to their hearts content and be safe.

yup...just about all have em....2 weeks ago we went to national trails for the friday night street fights, a good size group of us went down there with our cars....(didnt take mine this time)...next friday were taking mine though.... only a hand full of imports racing....the rest sat out front in the parking lot trying to look fast leaning on there car where the arms crossed...

even though it is dirt cheap to get in...they still tend to race though the parking lot though..

i say if they die doing something stupid then o well...now they kill someone and they live...then they should go to jailed, fined, licinece revoked FOR LIFE, and sued....people who street race are stupid...thats the end of it....now say 3 am from stop light to stop light....whatever...as long as no one else is around im fine with it...putting your self in danger yes...but not anyone just walking there dog or such...


but its still easier to :Track: plus...you can get a time slip and know what times you ran..

 

[Boss 351]

even though it is dirt cheap to get in...they still tend to race though the parking lot though..

they do that here too They will race on their way to the stagging lanes too. Friday night if you go with a V8, you're allowed to skip the ricer line up to race. I just love that. I hardly go anymore because the ricers race in the parking lot and whatever, I'm too scared to get my car ran into. I go on events like a Mustang show or go in the qualifications during a real racing event. There aren't any 17-19 second ricers during these times.

 

[25thmustang]

I'll see what I can do about getting some pictures down there on a friday/saturday night. I'd paypal you a couple bucks for every mustang, camaro, vette, chevelle, nova, etc.. that you could find. It's the ricers here.
It's not generalizing here. Its a fact.

My thing is I dont go to the ricer street race area's, they race in the ghetto (there was a video posted a while back about street racing, that took place in Hartford, CT, which is where the rice around me races) and I don't want me or my car to be out in that area late at night. I would rather not get shot.

The areas I go to, and people I hang out with drive Fbodies, Mustang, Vettes, etc... and for the most part they all go out and race. There are a lot of money races out here too, and the big $$ races always seem to have a Mustang or Fbody involved, and lately the other car would have been an STI or Evo (they got real popular real fast).

I have seen the ricers racing, seen the muscle cars racing, I have seen it ALL at our local strip (not race track, but street everyone drives on), and can say no one group is better than the other in their decision making skills.