Illegal Racer's Seized Car Crushed
# New City Ordinance In Place To Discourgage Speed Contests

Oct 13, 2004 3:43 pm US/Pacific
LOS ANGELES (CBS) The first car seized under a Los Angeles ordinance meant to discourage speed contests on public streets was destroyed Wednesday, and authorities vowed that more would follow.

"This is a critical issue for the city of Los Angeles," said Los Angeles police Chief William Bratton.

"Eight people to date this year have lost their lives in drag-racing related accidents," Says Bratton. "Eight people who should be alive today, except for the mindless foolishness of this type of activity."

Officials presided over the destruction of the white IROC Chevrolet Camaro seized on Aug. 30, 2003. The car was later declared a nuisance, then sold at auction to the Valley Traffic Advisory Council, a police-citizens group that donated it to the city.

In what amounted to a carefully scripted photo opportunity, Mayor Jim Hahn and Bratton donned hardhats and gave a thumbs up to the operator of a mechanical claw when it was safe to drop a huge weight on top of the two-door.

The car buckled in the middle as the weight flattened the roof, then the drop process was repeated several times to complete the job.

Joining Hahn for the demonstration were City Council members Dennis Zine, a former police officer, and Wendy Greuel, whose district has been the site of several street races in recent years, particularly after the movie "2 Fast 2 Furious" and its sequel.

On Oct. 1, two seniors from Village Christian School were killed in what police believe was a head-on, racing-related collision in the 7700 block of La Tuna Canyon Road in Sun Valley.

The driver of the car, also a Village Christian student, was critically injured and underwent brain surgery at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills that Friday.

Four nights later, police broke up a large crowd -- 35 carloads of young people -- gathered for racing in the 8000 block of Haskell Avenue. Two cars seized in that raid will be destroyed, police said. A dozen people were arrested. It is misdemeanor in Los Angeles to even watch an illegal car race.

"This is not a game," Greuel said. "And it's not a movie. It's a choice that has life-and-death consequences, and also has consequences for your vehicle."

Hahn said the crushing is "going to be a dramatic reminder to everybody what can happen if you get caught racing illegally in the city of Los Angeles. We're not here because we want to take somebody's fun away. This is not fun to go to somebody's funeral."


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Nope that won't encourage anybody to flee and elude. I don't really care for organized street racing myself but I think this is a bit much.

 

Oh Snap

 

what if you owe on the car?some TR lawyers need to chime in.

 

:bbb: some how I don't think that car will be missed.

 

well I for one think that this will have NO impact on "street racing"
in my mind all this will do is drasticaly rais the amout of flee and alude case's through out CA. and eventualy probibly lead to some gun play...I know that might seem a bit far fetched but also look at what kid's are running aroud with as is Im sure some 17yr old kid can justify in his own mind shooting at somone trying to take his car, his pride and joy and 1st bit of real freedom.... I for one truly do think somthing like this is just a REALY BAD IDEA but hey thats just me.....
-art-

 

id sue like a bitch and they cant seize and detroy a car that dosnt belong to you the bank would own the police dept that did that. Technicaly the car doesnt belongto you. your ins would drop you but the bank or whoever you finance through would own your local PD for sure ! With a seizure the bank is notified or whoever the lean is held by on the title and then it goes to THEIR local impound yard and waits for resale or is goven back to the owner. We have a State farm lot here in lakeland. Cops dont have any rights to destroy a car. The only reason they did was because someone bought the car at auction and Donated it to the cops and then they destroyed it. If it was a newer late model car they couldnt do anything but hold it for investigation But even then there is a statute of limitations eventually theyd have to give it up !

 

If it were a new car, say hello to paying for a crushed car.

You were racing. The bank knows it, and had you wrecked, they would be saddled with the bill. So why would they see it any differently if the car is crushed?

Either way, you end up paying for the car.

Did you see the video?
She called it a Mustang

Also, they said there is a legal process to go through to get the car back, but SOME cars can end up getting crushed.

Lotta threat, probably not a lot of crushing to actually happen. One car so far was to make a statement. I'm surprised they didn't find something newer and much more expensive to prove they mean business.

 

"2 fast 2 furious and its sequel"

and in the video "the once decked out camaro".... looks bone ass stock to me.

 

OMFG 8 people have died!!! Jesus christ give it a break...

I'm not a fan of organized street racing either, but our florida law and the ones in CA are stupid, they dont stop anything, most kids here in florida are getting off with fines and community service it seems on TR....