z@forgetaboutit

"Nov. 29, 02:20 EDT Toronto Star Newspaper

Drag race kills pedestrian

Teen on a stroll struck by another student's SUV

by Kevin Ritchie, Staff Reporter

A high school student walking to class was killed when a sport utility vehicle in a drag race lost control, jumped the curb and struck him.

Two 17-year-old drivers began racing east on Ellesmere Ave., west of Morrish Rd. in Scarborough, about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, police say.

One lost control of his red SUV and mounted the curb, striking Steven Francisco, 18, of Scarborough on the sidewalk. The SUV then crashed into a pole and came to rest on its hood, said traffic services Detective Wally Watts..."

akrus

iTrader: (1)

I just heard about this on the radio on my way into work. Unfortunate reminder that racing should be kept on the track with safety crews and protective gear available.

Albert

MaxRPM

iTrader: (1)

Wow a lot of Canuks on this board, I know that road, it's pretty bad for people casualy racing. Street Racing is only "safe" if confined to an industrial area at night when there is no other traffic.

Racing will always be somewhat dagerous to the drivers and spectators, but that's their problem.

Magellan

In some limited way, we may be able to discourage some of our misguided members from this dangerous practice. When someone posts a “kill” thread, inanely boasting of winning some stupid street race which I guess is their right to do, lets not make it worse by posting “congrats” or other supportive responses. Let our silence be a vote of no confidence.

SteVTEC

I think the question should rather be stated...

"Is Street Racing Worth It in a damned SUV!!"

This is what happens when you try to drive an SUV like a car. Too bad about the person that was killed but that's what happens when people are retarded

There are plenty of safe ways to "test" your car, but doing so on a busy street with pedestrians in a "truck" that wasn't designed for it simply isn't one of them.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

while racing an SUV is asinine (and obviously the freak had no common sense to begin with), thats really not the point. I don't consider a stock maxima a race ready vehicle. Matter of fact, with our suspension and steering, we get a false sense of security. The steering is isolated, the car can be floaty and vauge AND that rear beam is predictable but tragic when it does break free. And the beam on a turn with a bump/dip at high speeds can make you load your pants.

I also don't think the 'find a better street' arguement is valid either. Freeways and industrial parks are no better than a school zone in my opinion.

After a 'kill' you should feel a sense of triumph, followed by an overwelming feeling of stupidity for street racing in the first place.

2k2se6spd

I am not going to get into the "street racing is bad, mmmmmmk??" arguement. No doubt that due to the fact that it is not a controlled environment, safety goes out the window and the likelihood for collateral damage goes way up.

However, street racing in an SUV while in a school zone has got to be the epitomy of dumbphukness. He hit a kid WALKING TO CLASS!!! And to state that an isolated highway or industrial park is no safer than a school zone, well, I have to disagree with that one. Your intentions of not condoning street racing may have been well founded, but with a statement like that, your absolute lack of reason lends no credibility to your intended effect.

DieselFX82

Yeah My Teacher told me about that. Your in the Toronto area? Have you been to any meets? Check on www.5thgenmaximas.com and theres a canadian forum there!

SVRider

$0.02: One thing I think we should all keep in mind is that "safe" and "safer" are two very different terms. "Safer" is a relative term while "safe" is an absolute term. Racing will probably never reach the "safe" point. Racing on the street definitely never will. Industrial streets and highways/freeways may be "safer" than residential and school zones but they're still dangerous. The problem is that even the "safer" areas of the street can have innocent bystanders that pay the price for an adrenaline rush that last just a few moments.

I'm not particulary thrilled with the "kill" threads either but that's something that's never gonna end. Illegal street racing has been around almost as long as automobiles, and it's not likely going to stop.

GhettoMAX

agree

(Northern California, I-5, traveling northbound w/cousin in his 4th gen Maxima 5-speed, pass a slow GMC truck, while passing GMC truck speeds up trying to prevent us from passing, cousin shifts into fourth and we pass. about 40 miles down stopped at a red light, light turns green, same truck comes flying passed by does a race car like move back into lane, looses control, almost tips over, over corrects, fishtails does a 360 then stops facing south! We stop to see if anyone injured, the guy was in a shock. one other older driver stops and yells at him for trying to drive like a race car, the guy was so ****ing embarassed! it was good thing that no one got hurt!)

WILLSE

thats y u dont race a car that 1: cant handle 2: isnt fast and 3: is a flat out piece of ****! that driver is an idiot....in my area we recently had 2 teenagers "pacing" (not racing so they say) eachother down this road and the kid in the back my friend was drving a ford ranger trying to keep up with the car in front of him and he lost it @ 90mph around a turn and hit a cluster of pine trees...... needless to say that both the driver and passenger are now seriously injured.... the passenger broke his back...... in my opinion street racing is ok but stupidity and pride steps in the way and ends up putting cars into trees and ditches...... in both situations the driver was drving a car or truck that was not meant to go fast and at that not handle..... i know there is more too it but pride has alot to do with it! many people have been hit or killed bc of street racing but those are the only ones publicized and are made a huge ordeal think of how many people on highways on cell phones have killed and people eating or just cant drive....... street racing would have the fewest amounts of deaths recorded the news just takes it and blows it out of proportion in my opinion....... use your head and dont let pride get in the way of safety!

TimW

iTrader: (6)

"your absolute lack of reason lends no credibility to your intended effect."

Your absolute lack of respect for my opinion doesn't win you any credibility with me and probably doesn't lend itself to your intended effect.

We ALL do stupid things. I've done it. it happens. And at that moment you are doing it, regardless of your education level or station in life, it's stupid. It's asinine to risk the lives of others, and for what?? To prove you're faster than a GTP, so you can run back here to tell us all? Hey, we're all human and fall into those traps. But you can't defend it. An area that you can reasonably control is an exception, like Auto-X. That *might* include a industrial park. If you can reasonably assure there is no other traffic and there won't be. Past that, I stand by my moronic, statically baseless statment.

Yeah, I'm sure that idiot thought he had control of his environment up to the point that he hit someone. Just like you would on the interstate until a van full of orphans decides to do a lane change you didnt expect or a tire blows. whatever.. You are an adult, you have your own will. You would face the same manslaughter charges that idiot will. At that moment, regardless of why, you will pretty much be = to him.

SteVTEC

agreed, and well said

wdave

Street Racing Worth It?

simple answer - NO.

wdave

Street Racing Worth It?

simple answer - NO.

NZ Max

and then fast and furious comes along.

Seriously guys, the race in f&f, with the 4 cars, id it like that over there? or is that just movies for ya? Im In new Zealand and the only thing as close to that is when crowds (100) of boy racers congregate at an intersection in industrial aukland and use it as a burn out pad.

akrus

iTrader: (1)

One of the reasons alot of racers in the Toronto area 'claim' to do the street racing thing is because drag strips are 'too far' away for them to go to. In the summer, there's a couple of hangouts you can show up at and before you know it, there will be a procession of cars heading out to let it go. I'm sure that wasn't the case with the SUV, however. Just a kid with daddy's powerful SUV trying to impress everyone around.

I admit that prior to '94 I did some stupid things with my cars. ie - going from Yonge and 401 in Toronto to Stanley Park in Kitchener (~90km) in 35 minutes because a guy in a Mustang 'wanted to go' against my Tbird SC; going from Division and Walker in Windsor to Bridgeport in Kitchener (~270km) in 1 1/4 hours because my ex was freaking out and needed me to 'hurry back'. Both incredibly stupid, but I was a 'pro driver' (in my young eyes) and could handle my car (so I thought at the time).

When I bought my '94 Z28, it took all of 3 days before my neighbour (with a T/A GTA) talked me into a light race. I took him for the 100 ft. that we went, but a cop was in the strip mall. Promptly came out after us and I got charged with racing. After paying Points $500, a reduced fine of 30 km/h over and excessive noise (it was my friend's exhaust that was loud, yet I got the fine ) I decided to take my car to it's limits only on the track. Whether SOLO1 or SOLO2, it's just safer and you learn alot more about your car and your skills in a controlled area such as that.

That said, I still drive at a rate consistent with traffic, meaning that if the majority of cars around me are going 130 km/h in a 100, I do that. I also go 40 km/h in a 100, if that's what traffic and conditions warrant.

If none of us liked the exhilaration that speed and a perfect corner bring us, we would have bought Echos

My 2 cents.

Albert

SVRider

Those d@mn Echos!!! Stupid Civic of mine can't keep up with them...

my01SE

Here in San Diego, Hundreds & Hundreds of racers & ricers meet at midnight EVERY Friday & Saturday, and race all night long, so as long as the cops aren't showing up. When there are hundreds of cars, there are sometimes thousands of people watching. I have been going for years, and yet to see someone killed. Even though it is illegal, it is much "safer" due to the time and location, and the kind of people. Most of these people make vast investments in there cars, and are not careless when racing. . .

big h

iTrader: (1)

You know the whole thing is until you kill or maim someone then you'll understand that street racing is not worth it. It's unfortunate that people who feel like they are unbeatable don't see it. Whether you have a race at 5pm or 3am...you can still hurt yourself or the other driver or pedestrian...My take on street racing is save it for the track.

Zam

You can't be serious can you?

I know I'm not the only one who has
a)illegally participated in the stoplight race
b)went above and beyond the posted speed limit(way above)
c)attended the weekend illegal racing convention
whereas each and every time that I participated, I understood that it was totally ignorant for me to be involved.

Like TimW said, at the time these stupid actions seem reasonable, but we all realize(I hope) that we're shooting a loaded weapon into a crowd of people. You may think that you are a race car driving champion and your Eibach suspension and low pro tires turn your vehicle into a race car, but get serious. Trying to justify yours or anyone elses street racing is again asinine. What do you get for winning a street race? Maybe you'll be crowned king retard of the board for a day.

All I can hope is that when I take my wife and 2 boys out to dinner, I don't meet up with any of ya'll that insist on racing on the public roads.

**disclaimer, I'm not some old grumpy do right bastard. I'm a young grumpy do right bastard.

my01SE

Whether your on the track or not, your still at risk of hurting yourself or someone else. When people congegrate at such events, there sole intention is one thing, and there are NO bistanders there, I don't know how it is in other cities, but here it is the back roads, commercial areas where a normal car is not randomly passing by at 1am, only the people that want to be there, and we know that when you want to do something, illegal or not, there is ALWAYS a risk of getting hurt. . .