Long Beach Injury Crash Apparently Caused by Street Racing
Street-racing caused a fiery multi-vehicle crash on the Long Beach Freeway May 5 that burned a Corvette to its frame and left three people in the hospital, according to a City News Service article posted on the Daily Breeze newspaper’s Web site.
The accident was reported at 10:06 p.m. on May 5 on the southbound Long Beach (710) Freeway near the Los Angeles River, according to the California Highway Patrol. The Corvette was allegedly racing a second car when one driver lost control, crashed into the other vehicle, and then crashed into a third car which was apparently not part of the race, a witness told the reporter. A passenger in a Mustang and a driver in a compact car were also taken to hospitals, a witness said.
Witnesses said the Corvette burst into flames rapidly after the crash.
“They were definitely racing -- the Corvette and the other dark car were going head to head and crashed. ... they were going at least 120 miles per hour,” said Mike West, one of the witnesses to the accident.
Street racing is not just a nuisance for other drivers, but it is a tremendous danger for those racing and others on our roadways.
Statistics highlight that danger. In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that police listed street racing as a factor in 135 fatal crashes. That total was up from 72 street-racing-related fatalities reported in 2000. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, more than 800 citations for illegal street racing were issued in 2001.
In San Diego, where the street racing problem has been termed “epidemic,” 16 deaths and 31 injuries were directly related to illegal street racing in 2001. The city's attorney's office prosecuted 147 illegal street racing cases in 1999, 161 in 2000, and 290 in 2001. The numbers have steadily increased since then. And most of these incidents involve young people. According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 16 and 20. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says 5,749 teens died in the United States from motor vehicle crash injuries in 1999.
Nationwide statistics show that 49 people are injured for every 1,000 who participate in illegal street racing.
Even beyond the consequences to one’s own health and safety, and the health and safety of other drivers, the legal implications of being involved in a street race are severe. The National Hot Rod Association details several of these consequences:
Prison sentence of up to three months
Fine of up to $1,000
Revocation of Driver’s License
Cancellation of car insurance
Impounding of vehicle for 30 days
If you are a witness to a street race and have access to a cell phone, please call the CHP immediately at 1-800-TELL CHP to report it. You will be protecting the health of yourself, your passengers, and other fellow drivers.
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