Posted on 06/20/2007 8:31:15 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy
Nick Ut / AP
Manuel Hernandez reacts after his car
and other impounded vehicles were crushed
at Ecology Auto Parts in Rialto, Calif., on Wednesday.
Southern California authorities crack down on illegal hot rods, street racing
RIALTO, Calif. - 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.
The cars the teens had so meticulously souped up and tricked out were crushed Wednesday as part of a crackdown on illegal street racing in Southern California.
"That's my heart, my dream," said Hoang, 18, of Chino, who was surrounded by friends as his 1998 Acura Integra was put into a compactor. "That's my girlfriend, the love of my life. The cops can crush my car, but they can't crush my memories."
Authorities destroyed six vehicles Wednesday at an auto graveyard, hoping would-be racers think again after looking at the mashed machines. Illegal street racing 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 that attract racers.
Nearly 1,000 people drivers and spectators have been arrested for investigation of street racing activities over the past two years in San Bernardino County alone. Police need a court order to destroy the cars. They must prove that the serial or identification numbers on a vehicle or its parts are removed, altered or destroyed.
Police said they have managed to reduce illegal racing and related fatal collisions, but know the underground hobby still thrives.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
What, exactly, is an illegal engine swap? That term don't get used in my neck o' the woods.
Yes, but I missed the part the they were all modified with stolen parts.
Police need a court order to destroy the cars. They must prove that the serial or identification numbers on a vehicle or its parts are removed, altered or destroyed.
I dont read that they police have to prove the parts were stolen.
Disgusting response.
no, just have a respect for the consitiution which you apparently lack
disgusting response to disgusting comment quid pro quo
“I guess you not getting what these street racers are truly about.”
I understand. I am not saying the drivers shouldn’t have the book thrown at them. It is NOT punishing the driver adequately and seizing property instead that bothers me.
It’s like punishing a murderer by confiscating his gun.....
Do you live in SoCal?
Used to. I get it.
It’s in the article. The cars were illegally modified with stolen parts.
I draw the line around the ricer street racing gang drug culture.
Owning and street racing an illegally modified car with stolen parts is a Constitutional right?
I don't much like them either, but once you start with special punishments for one group, then nothing protects the next group and on down the line.
Asking if you street race is disgusting?!
I keep trying to tell people.
This guys are BAD news, gang involvement in this stuff is huge.
I think there are people who just delight in anything they can point out at some kind of constitutional crisis. That oh it will be your SUV or Muscle car next buddy! They live for that stuff. Aint gonna happen. They are CRIMINALS folks. Not speeders or auto enthusiasts. Understand that.
“These selfish CRIMINAL punks are doing this DAILY, I am in no mood to be lectured it is some kind of constitional crisis.”
If they are criminals then why not insist they get the jail time that they deserve? That is a better solution than confiscating their car, regardless of what is done with it.
Again, gangs, drugs, gambling on races, stolen parts. Stolen cars. On and on.
This aint everyone else.
It’s a criminal culture fully embedded and in control of the ricer racer scene.
Then punish them with the usual punishments for criminal acts. We have 400,000 hispanic "guest workers" in my county alone. I am familiar with the problem, but this solution sets entirely the worng precedent.
I dont give a damn about these people ok?
Because jail time is normal stuff for gangs and punks.
Take away what they love and the tools they use to *endanger* others while BREAKING the law in reckless fasion.
You send a POWERFUL message to the rest of these street thugs.
I don’t understand it either. Especially when there are tracks they can race at. We have these guys in the east too. They “find” each other on the street and weave in and out of lanes until they are in front of traffic neck and neck then they hit it. I’ve seen some horrible near misses. Scary crap.
This aint everyone else.
Its a criminal culture fully embedded and in control of the ricer racer scene.
And exactly how does crushing a car stop/reduce this?
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