Six Impounded Street Racing Cars Crushed

RIALTO, June 20, 2007 (KABC-TV) (KABC) -- Six cars were crushed at a recycling plant Wednesday morning. The cars were impounded during illegal street races in San Bernardino County. Some of the registered owners were actually there to see their cars reduced to scrap.

It can take a lot of time and a lot of money invested into building these street racers -- but they can be legally destroyed in just a few seconds.

Proof of that statement was on display in Rialto Wednesday morning, where several impounded cars were crushed and stacked atop each other.

Enforcement efforts against both organized and impromptu street racing is having some success inland. Racing often leads to death or injury. At a Rialto dismantling yard, something positive is being done about it.

Cpl. Jeff Higbee, Ontario Police Dept.: "We had 13 people killed in street racing collisions in the last three months. Of those 13 people that were killed, only two of them were actually driving the race cars. The other 11 people were either passengers, pedestrians, or innocent motorists in other cars."

Six vehicles in total were destroyed. They were impounded by a street racing enforcement team, fronted by Ontario police and supported by a number of area agencies.

Cpl. Jeff Higbee: "All of the cars have either illegal transmission, or an illegal engine in them. We went through the criminal process on the cases that we could. All of the cars have been through a civil process, for having numbers removed or stolen parts in them. And they've been ordered to be crushed."

Twenty-year-old Charles Hoang of Cupertino was cited for street racing. He was on hand to see his car crushed.

Charles Hoang, street racer: "I learned my lesson. But, I may end up opening a car shop doing this. I'll never stop any kind of racing stuff -- I'll take it to the track. No more streets. I learned my lesson on the streets. You don't want to race with all those tickets on the streets."

Officials say there are some legal drag strips open to the motorist who want to test their cars against other cars, and they suggest that they use them. In the long run, it would be far safer far less expensive.

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