mmm... I'm torn....

I hate seeing the Constitution stepped on this way, yet... there's six ricers off the streets.... but, man, that was a Supra on top of the pile!

Man, if they'd just throw in a little due-process, I think we've got us a deal! Of course, this totally erodes any remaining respect these kids had for authority, law and morality, so it'll probably lead them to doing more, worse stuff.

Just curious, if you put a giant plastic bag around those and drizzle them with caramel, could you sell 'em as rice cakes?

If the parts were stolen, shouldn't they have been returned to whomever they were stolen from? I'd love to hear that call, "Mr. Smith, I have good news and bad news. The good news is we recovered your stolen engine. The bad news is we crushed it in a misguided attempt to punish the kid who bought it from the thief."
Also, I thought I was living in a country where people were innocent till proven guilty.

You mean, it's possible that the $19.99 I paid for a new tranny means that it was stolen?!?!??!

Just kidding. I hate the fact that these were crushed. Should have been parted to help pay restitution to the victims

@B: Typically you are...unless you are suspected of being guilty of someone's pet crime, then it's a free for all.

The Hoang guy even claims that he bought the tranny, er, transmission from his dad's shop.

caption:

Damn, my fake ID was in there!

@Retiree: Thats not a Supra- it is an Integra

@Retiree: My definition of "rice" is usually limited to cars with giant coffee can mufflers and fiberglass bodykits. I don't think a 350 hp Integra with a stock exterior really qualifies.

From the looks of that pile, looks like the judge had a hard on against Hondas.

I think San Bernadino and Riverside counties owe the owners of those cars the

There is a strong movement towards this here in Ontario, Canada too. The Attorney General went off on a misguided rant about about hes going to shut down speed shops that build illegal street racers cars and comparing them to drug labs etc.

He also threatens that if your car is found to be illegal in construction, they will crush it.

This stuff makes me sick.

value of the car and punitive damages.

This is just pathetic. How about punishing the driver and not the vehicle?

I agree with Jim K; part the cars out, sell them at an auction, give them to people who need a car, anything but what they did. I'm not a big fan of the fart can but I could swallow my pride for a 30 mpg beater.

@danio3834:

Praise God that the only non-street legal automobile that I have put on the road as a licensed motor vehicle was a Jeep Wrangler and not a street racer.

Of course the local cops didn't even notice the mods as being something other than street legal because I kept the tires tucked under the fender flares.

Jun 20, 2007 11:17 AM
Robert Benzie
Queen's Park Bureau Chief

Likening speed shops that make street racers to illegal drug labs and bomb factories, Attorney General Michael Bryant is warning the cars could be seized before they even hit the roads.
Bryant threw down the gauntlet at street racers today in the wake of Monday's Highway 400 accident, allegedly caused by racing, in which truck driver David Virgoe was killed.
"Somebody who's putting together a … car for street racing might as well be putting together an illegal narcotic or putting together an explosive," the attorney general told reporters.
"What I would say to anybody who is engaging in the illegal act of street racing is, we don't need to wait until that car hits the road fully loaded," said Bryant.
The attorney general pointed out that Ottawa and Queen's Park have worked together to tighten up laws designed to curb street racing.
"We can seize that car if we have information from police and, just on the balance of probabilities, if we can establish that that car is being used for the unlawful purpose of street racing, we will seize it and you will never see it again," he said.
"We will crush your car. We will crush the parts. You will never see it again."
While Bryant declined to discuss details of Virgoe's death or the case of three men charged in connection with it, he noted that Ontario prosecutors are making use of new provisions in the Criminal Code for street-racing offences.

The funny thing about that incident is that it had nothing to do with anything even remotely resembling organized street racing.

It involved a V6 Mustang and another unidentified car who were hooning around like idiots in afternoon rush hour traffic. The only reason anyone is likening the incided to street racing is cause they were 2 young guys.

Cops in San Bernadino and Riverside counties in California have a new deterrent for stopping street racing. Confiscate the convicted vehicles and crush them. The LA Times is reporting that the courts gave the police the okay to do so. Yeah, a bit drastic, but it works.

Following said attorney general's logic, then couldn't one conceivably seize a bone stock 911 turbo or any AMG Merc or M3/5/6, an RS4 and the like because they come "pre-equipped" from the factory for street racing by being merely powerful performance machines. I mean where does it end? I shudder to think.

@danio3834: Right. ANY car can be turned into a "weapon". I did my fair share of stupid stuff and got my first speeding tickets in my first car, a beat bone stock '88 Pontiac Grand Am with the old "Iron Duke" pushrod 4 cylinder.

Strange there aren't any V8 'Mericun cars that are ever caught street racing... When I see some old white guy's crushed Camero, I'll think this is fair, if still probably illegal.

@evoCS:

Yes youre right. Some buds who are also gearheads were discussing the very idea. Im not sure what the attorney general drives, but im sure its some luxury car with 300+hp. Is he going to start crushing Ferraris and AMG Benzes?

Probably not. Basically what he is saying is "We are going to profile you. If you fit the profile of Paul Walker in the Fast and the Furious, we will unlawfully take your car, crush it and laugh at you when you cry."

Its more or less a witch hunt.

ARRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

This stuff pisses me off so bad. What if I bought a transmission from a legit seeming seller on eBay, installed it in my $30,000 car, and it turned out to be stolen? Then it would still be okay to crush my car?

Sadly, I think mine wouldn't be crushed: because I could afford a good lawyer. These guys probably can't, and the cops and judge know that. Jerks.

I don't like "street racing" but chances are these guys were guilty of speeding while a minority driving a souped-up car.

What about the guy to the left of the cars? Has anyone taken a moment to consider him in all this?

Maybe just maybe these kids had a record. While I don't think crushing someones car is the most reasonable thing to do I am not so eager to jump on the racist profiling judge wagon.

Believe me I love cars as much as the next guy but I have a few things to say about what I think is acceptable use of a vehicle on public roads. I think those that street race don't respect there cars and those that love there cars. If you really loved your car and had respect for it you would take it too the track to race it. And if you can afford to take any Honda or Integra to high power levels than I'm sure you can afford to pay to race it at an organized event.

I saw this on the news several times in the last few days, and according to Fox news the catalyst for the seizure,and crushing of street racer's cars was 13 deaths in San Bernardino county in the last 3 months all attributed to street racing. I know you see stupidity like that here in the Orlando area all the time, just yesterday we had 2 people killed street racing in a neighbor hood. With so many people street racing, and driving like idiots in general something has got to be done to thwart it, personally I think they are on the right track, I still haven't heard how the "stolen parts" figures into the decision to crush,I really don't see why they should crush a car for stolen parts, as it seems those parts should be returned to their rightful owners.

A good idea - on paper. What if some of these kids actually need those cars to work, go to school etc? And what a waste of resources all around. If they become repeat offenders, take away their drive shafts or something else important until they complete at least 48 hours of community service at the county morgue. Make 'em work as orderlies. That'll get the point across better if they see the carnage of vehicular stupidity in it's rawest.

If I was the guy whom that transmission was stolen from, I'd be suing them for crushing my transmission.

It's like how they seize "drug" money by bringing a case against the money instead of the person who had the money, and since money doesn't have the right to due process, they can do whatever they want with it.

This used to be the land of the free. Remember that?

@HDC: What about the people hurting because of lost loved ones?, what about those that died?, compared to these it wouldn't be possible for me to care any less about what those kids "need", I wish they would be as tough on drunk drivers..., as for the time working in a morgue, yes ,only on top of losing the car.

One thing from the article some of you may have missed: our saintly victim Charles Hoang was caught street racing which is why the po-po had his car in the first place and then started looking for stolen parts.

But it's clearly not really about stolen parts, its about hitting street racers where it hurts. I don't shed any tears for these guys whining after they've been caught being naughty. He willingly put himself in the forefront of an enforcement issue the local cops are taking very seriously, so he should expect them to play rough.

If they pulled this guy over for a bad taillight or expired tabs, then sent him to the crusher, I'd have a little more sympathy.

@dculberson: They're not going to even look at the stolen tranny in your car, because you aren't going to impounded for street racing, are you?

@knute:

Ahh yes, i remember what freedom used to be like.

Freedom smelled like cigarette smoke in a restaurant, and riding as a 2 year old in the front seat with no child seat. Or the smell of an exhaust with no catalytic converters.

Not ot mention all the other BS going on at airport security passports etc.

While some ppl are adamantly against those things listed above, i love them, because to me, it reminds me of liberty.

I have no problem with this. Actually, I love it. Yes, it sucks and it does seem like an aggressive move to destroy the vehicles. However, law enforcement does have the right to take away your vehicle for any number of reasons... like dunk driving. What's done with the vehicle is of no consequence to the owner, and putting the crushed cars on display sends a pointed message to exactly the right people. If the kid with the Acura has a compelling case against the shop owner who sold the stolen transmission, he will need to prove it in court to get his money back. If the vehicle owner has a valid argument, the shop is libel for the value of the destroyed car and any other incidental expenses that resulted. Often, people turn a blind eye to where aftermarket parts come from. This will certainly make people use at least a little due diligence when dealing with these shops.

@lascauxcaveman:

Sure, if youre engaging in an illegal activity and you get caught, you pay the consequences.

However what i posted above, what the attorney general of Canada said, that is scary. What he has planned is much, much worse.

Ze autos have been, how you say, un-pimped!

I'm torn. Questionable ethics on the side of the courts/cops vs making ricers cry. Gnaaaaa.. Can. not. choose!

@lascauxcaveman: Imagine, if you will, I'm on the freeway going 80mph in a 65mph zone in my Lexus. If I get pulled over, as a white person, I'm almost certainly going to get a ticket at the most. I've been issued a written warning for exactly that speed. Now, imagine I'm Latino and in a riced-out Civic. Might they then say I'm street racing? Also imagine my friend/cousin/brother is in front of me in his hopped-up Integra. What do you think the cops will say then?

I don't street race, nor anything near it, but I can see that the definition is very open to interpretation. When you take a vague term like that, allow the police leeway to do the interpreting at the scene, and mix in a divided community and intolerant, brutal police force, I can see the opportunity for a lot of abuse.

"Street Racing" is not a black-and-white thing. These guys didn't have signs on their car (Bullrun anyone?) advertising that they were racing, did they? They didn't sign a document saying "I was street racing." They were caught in a traffic infraction, the cops decided it was street racing, and the judge decided they could crush their car.

My opinion is: If they had been white, engaged in the same activity, the outcome would have been different.

danio,
Actually, for me, I think freedom and liberty is…

Not getting emphasima, athsma, stinking or losing my voice in a restaurant due to someone's second-hand smoke.

As an infant, my skull not being bounced off of a windshield in a low-speed accident because of lazy parents unwilling to strap their children into car seats.

Vehicles not emitting carcinogenic soot that burns our eyes, settles onto our rooftops and sidewalks.

Not being blown-up by fundamentalist nutjobs.

If you're in favor of any of the above things, which evidently you are, you've got a dis-jointed idea of what "liberty" is. Familiarize yourself with the term "Social Contract."

@adidascrosscountry: Ah yes, the more laws we have, the more restrictions placed upon us the more liberty we have. I'm only 19, but I would make a great politician because I've figured out the recipe for success. I can convince anyone to give up anything if I instill fear in their hearts and tell them its for the children. "Fear makes you free". Not the original slogan, but the people whom created the original one also share your ideology.

@adidascrosscountry: Don't want my smoke in your eyes? Go somewhere that doesn't smoke or get a neighborhood committee to get restaurants to change - that's how policy should work. Government controls everything you said and it's completely unnecessary.

You think freedom means "my skull not being bounced off of a windshield in a low-speed accident"? What the fuck is wrong with you? Like people are just leaving babies on dashboards or that's how it once was? Come the fuck on - that's ludicrous. People care for the safety of children, that's just how it goes.

You honestly think freedom is "Vehicles not emitting carcinogenic soot that burns our eyes, settles onto our rooftops and sidewalks," really? Been to Mexico, at least right on the border? There's lots of problems there but not a single one of them is cars shooting soot out into the air and choking everyone, despite the fact that every car you see is 25+ years old and beaten to shit.

"Not being blown up by fundamentalist nutjobs." You really think Danio mentioned that that was okay? Or are you just using hyperbolic scare tactics (just like neocons) to scare us into your perfectly free nanny society?

Not to be a dick, but your arguments are loaded with bullshit.

Oh, and on the actual subject at hand - the cars shouldn't have been crushed. Fines should be paid, whatever, but destruction of property for a misdemeanor is bit much.

What my point was, when it comes down to personal liberties, its the responsibility of the individual to decide. (For example seat belts).

Id rather the government not force me or anyone else to do what they feel is best.

I don't even smoke, and anti smoking laws piss me off.

Hey, i know we'll never go back to cat-less cars, but you still gotta love that smell... ;)

I think the scariest thing, at least here in Ontario, is the fact that the province's Attorney General is moving further into the abandonment of due process. There is a "Golden Thread" that runs through English common law that you are innocent until proven guilty. Apparently, if you fit into certain categories, this need not be the case.
The problem is, once the precedent has been set for seizure of private property without any sort of due process, you're likely to see this used for a widening variety of things.

@adidascrosscountry:

Everyone has got a different definition of liberty. It is up to the majority to decide what the terms of the Social Contract will be.

I'm making my voice known, if the majority feels the same way I do, our point of view would then set the terms for the Social Contract and vice versa.

If one doesn't like it, its their right to bitch about it and try and change it.

While endangering the lives of civilians can never really be justified, stepping on our rights as civilians is just as equally unacceptable.

We live in the face of Danger all day long. Let's not ruin our lives over it.

This is another reason to run, so more people will now haul-ass from the cops. Likely causing more death and destruction.

If you don't believe that then just look at how effective any of the three strikes rules have been; people on their second strike won't stop for anyone because they KNOW it's jail time. Hence the amount of police chases.

Sadly, that is what it takes in America for us to learn our mistakes:
We implement laws that cripple our rights and don't even bat an eyelash until the day comes when we need those rights back but don't have them.

I could never, no matter what, allow this to happen to me.

I understand the bond between man and car.
I understand why they'd run to protect it.

What scares me with this is: Where does it stop? Where is the line between speeding and racing?

@jword2001:
The families of the deceased don't care about stolen transmissions. They care about irresponisible driving which is (get this) already illegal. That's right, exeeding the speed limit, reckless driving, engaging in an unlawful speed contest are all prohibited under the california vehicle code. Theft (of the the transmission) is also illegal in California. There is no need to crush anything; there is only a need to enforce the vehicle code and the penal code.

This makes me happy. They have always done this, except instead of crushing your car, the'd just take it and sell it to some other slob. It's called a police auction. Considering this is aimed at KIDS who consistently put other lives at risk, I'm all for it. Street racing is stupid, dangerous and irresponsible.
Oh, and why don't you see some American or European cars in there? Because they (traditionally) don't run stolen parts. If a guy spends, I dunno, 50k on his Camaro, or blows a cool 70k on hopping up his Bimmer, he for damn sure will not be buying stolen parts. Kids, generally, are not this discerning, nor can they afford to be. Plus, guys with cars that can perform don't need to race on the street. They aren't afraid to go in front of a crowd at a race facility and prove their mettle. Heck, same for guys who build truly awesome Japanese cars. You really think the guys at the NOPI nats run cheap-ass parts? Good riddance, I say.

Every time I see a forum post about a civic or integra with a type-R swap, I ask them how they know their parts are legit. It usually ends with an out an out accusation that their cars are full of stolen parts.

Seriously, doesn't an Integra Type-R have like a 1 in 6 chance of being stolen every year?