Cabbie killed in T.O. street race, teens charged

Sad days when two teenagers are racing mommy-and-daddy's respective Mercedes' in Toronto's streets, killing one...
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http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060125/street_race_060125

Police in Toronto have charged two teenagers after a taxi driver was struck and killed in a late-night street race.
Investigators allege the 18-year-old friends were racing in their parents' cars when one slammed into the cab as it made a left turn near the Mount Pleasant Road and St. Clair Avenue East area of the city.
The impact of the crash, which took place around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, crushed the cab against a pole, killing 46-year-old taxi driver Tahir Khan.
"As a result of the head-on collision, the cab was veered off into a steel light pole, crushing the car and trapping the driver inside," Sgt. Keith Haines told the Toronto Star.
The driver of the Mercedes involved in the crash ended up with a few scratches, while his friend fled the scene, also in a Mercedes.
The cab driver was declared dead at the scene late Tuesday night.
Toronto police Detective Paul Lobsinger told reporters Wedesday that a copy of the game 'Need for Speed' was found on the front seat of one of the suspect's cars.
Alexander Ryazanov, 18, of Toronto, is charged with criminal negligence causing death.
Wang-Piao Dumani Ross, 18, also of Toronto, is charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to stop after an accident causing death.
The two men were scheduled to appear in a Toronto court Wednesday.

Vancouver street race
In October 2002, two Vancouver men were convicted of criminal negligence causing death after their street race left a woman dead.
Sukvir Singh Khosa and Bahadur Bhalru were street racing when Khosa hit Irene Thorpe, 51, who was walking on the sidewalk.
In what was described as a a legal first in Canada, Bhalru was also convicted even though he was just taking part in the race.
The two landed immigrants were each given a conditional sentence of two years less a day and were ordered deported in April 2003.

Always thought it was a good idea to make teenagers drive early eighties four cyl. cars until they develop some common sense.

It worked for me. I had a car that could barely touch 80 mph.

A detuned honda crv might also work.

what they dont realise is when ure gonna be street racing, u put everyone else at risk and its really sad that this particular incident took the life of someone who had nothing to do with this event. I believe that their sentence should be as harsh as someone convicted of manslaughter cause that is in fact what they have done. Theres a place for everything and racing is not for the streets.

OmegaRenegade

Deportation. (although that would NEVER happen, I think its a great idea)

If you get caught street racing and someone dies in the process, you should never be allowed to be behind the wheel of any vehicle, ever again. When is the government and the law going to realize that big fines are not discouraging this kind of behavior..

What's this news item have to do with TDI matters?

It's car related, and in fact this will bring more heat for people who mod their cars. I'm not trying to say that this was a bad event, etc, but the blame that's going to come out of this will have a bit of a backlash.

See, this happens far too often that kids get mommie's and daddie's car, go out, and want to push the limits of it. So, what happens? Street racing is to blame. This I agree with. No issues here. It's all about testosterone/steel/speed. What I don't agree with is that blame will be put on people who modify their cars. I don't consider my car heavily modded, and I look relatively stock enough that I never get hassled. BUT car clubs in general get frowned upon because others in the general population feel we encourage street racing.

Meh, that's my rant for the day. Yes, I could go on...but it's been discussed to quite an extent on other forums.

Honestly, it may not be a bad idea to raise the minimum age that one can get a learner's permit to 18. Obviously the graduated licencing program isn't doing anything to get rid of speed on the streets. Or, perhaps, a maximum hp rating should be put into effect for certain age ranges.

3 years ago I witnessed a Benz t-bone a cavalier at well over 120kph (Speed limit was 60kph). Driver and passenger of the benz got out without a scratch. The driver and pass in the Cav went to hospital. The passenger of the Cav had multiple surgeries to try to get her as much mobility back as possible, but she was still not able to walk normally after 1 year of treatement. I know cause I was a witness and went to the first court date. The trial was postponed to a later date I could not attend as I was out of the country. The *TEENS* in the benz got a high priced lawyer and the charges were reduced to just traffic infractions.

If the parents have the money to afford a CLK430 convertable they can afford the get the kids a lawyer.


***Edit***
Just to give you an idea of the volocity at impact... The battery from the cav was found 50 yards away from impact point. The benz ricoched and struck a light pole and pulled the entire concrete foundation out

whatever the influence, whether its media, video games, movies that glorify street racing, it comes down to a whole lot of PERSONAL DECISION. For every rich snotty kid with their parents fast car who chooses to race, there are a bunch of other snotty kids who choose not to because at least their parents gave them some shred of moral and ethical coaching. Same goes for poor ghetto kids who choose to lead a life of crime instead of trying for that scholarship like so many others do.

All comes back to the parents and what kinds of values these kids are receiving at an early age. If they don't learn quickly that they have to have personal responsibility they'll always act in a way that assumes others will clean up after them.

If I were king for a day, I would modify our "bill of rights and freedoms " (work for life for lawyers ) with the following clause;

1. you a fully responsible for the consequences of your actions....period

the rest is basically filler

time to get off the soap box.

Ted

Kasper, I would be entirely in agreement with replacing the ENTIRE highway traffic act with "statement 1." that you provided above.

For that matter, a lot of other crappy regulations and standards could be replaced with that ...

Don't you find it funny that the same government that wants to stop the street racing, ironically has no issue allowing 500hp cars to be driven on out city streets? I mean, i know its like saying "Its not the guns, its the people using them", however, why does anyone need that much power? That to me is the biggest oximoron. However, i love power, and would love 500hp.

I will admit that I like the power also. I did not own a crotch rocket for no reason. Everyone has done somthing stupid in their life time, some get caught before they grow out of the phase.

A lot of it is what you see on TV and games. It plants the seed and where it goes for there depends greatly on the upbringing and ability to finance the toys.

I disagree that games are a problem. Listen, people have interests and hobbies. Unfortunately, driving fast is not something that can be done legally. All games really do is create interest, but I dont think they make people sick or addictive. If someone can't see the differnce, then they are stupid. if you look at porn online all day, does that make you a sexual preditor? No. There are more people, with more kids, with more money then there has ever been. This is part of living in the Metropolos. This is why we have more sick people. Why we have more pollution. Why we wait for medical attention. Why we drive in traffic. Its no different. We are to many.

There were races long before video games. Heck, check out the highway traffic act. There is a section (I kid you not) which states that it is illegal to race horse & carriage on the street. I do think that games have SOMETHING to do with it...but it's mostly guys trying to show that their weiner is bigger. (yes, women race as well...but lets be honest...most leadfoots are guys)

I agree with TDIMaxima, though. If they don't want people racing, then why allow 500+hp cars on the street? If they want people to obey the speed limit, govern cars at 120 km/h! It's not that hard. Speeding is a big business for government/police agencies. Like my comment on another board, it's the equivalent of putting a handgun into someone's hand and telling them not to fire it. They may be able to resist for a long time, but one day they'll shoot it...if only to see what it feels like.

You know after reading all these posts... bladda bliddy bladda.. yadda yadda yadda... everyone who has ever owned a car has done something stupid with it. It's unfortunate what happened here 3 lives are basically ruined. Will it stop other street racers? Nope... I don't have a problem with street racing as long as its not done downtown... that' just dumb! Out of the city is a better place, and that's where most "real" street racers do there thing...

hehaw77 said:

You know after reading all these posts... bladda bliddy bladda.. yadda yadda yadda... everyone who has ever owned a car has done something stupid with it. It's unfortunate what happened here 3 lives are basically ruined. Will it stop other street racers? Nope... I don't have a problem with street racing as long as its not done downtown... that' just dumb! Out of the city is a better place, and that's where most "real" street racers do there thing...

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Cause killing innocent people on back country roads is way more acceptable then downtown..

If you want to race take it to the track.

Actually, more 'real' street racing events are on back roads in industrial areas, where the general traffic is blocked off...no innocent lives lost. Bill has the right attitude, though...take it to the track. Problem is: a) how many of these kids' mommies and daddies will let them borrow the car knowing they are going to a track event, b) the cost to get set up to track race (helmet, lessons, certification, etc).

I think the best thing the city could do to crack down on street racing would to open a public 1/4 mile track that wasn't to far out into the boonies. I am sure the insurance costs would be alot lower then all the lawsuits, time and money spent in the courts on cases like this...

they could even fund it with a race fee... For example it costs 5$ per person per run and the winner gets the $5 back. Promotes some friendly competition with some regulation and saftey.

LNXGUY said:

I think the best thing the city could do to crack down on street racing would to open a public 1/4 mile track that wasn't to far out into the boonies. I am sure the insurance costs would be alot lower then all the lawsuits, time and money spent in the courts on cases like this...

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You are SO right about this. The problem is those infernal NIMBY's who happen to live in the proposed area but won't want such a place in their backyard, and will do logic-defying things to oppose it.

We listen too much to NIMBY's in this province. Certainly there are cases where there is valid reasoning behind people's complaints, but in many cases there is NOT. At a certain point one has to make the political decision "we are better off with this than without", compensate any affected parties if warranted, and get on with it. Failure to make the tough decisions (and listening too much to NIMBY's) is why we have no nearby racetracks (more below) ... and it's why Toronto is sending its garbage to Michigan ... and I'm sure more examples can be found.

Nearest dragstrip to Toronto is Cayuga. There is an adjacent road course (which has my interest more than the dragstrip). The dragstrip has been there for decades and has been grandfathered. The road course has been the subject of noise complaints. I can't speak for the cars, but every motorcycle that goes there has a muffler and is subject to a 102dB noise limit measured very close to the bike. Compare the noise level from that source at the property line, to the noise level of a freaking jet-powered or 6000-hp top fuel dragster on the dragstrip which is RIGHT NEXT to the road course on the same property. It makes absolutely no sense. When one of those cars goes down the dragstrip you cannot have a conversation in the paddock right next to the front straightaway on the road course and you cannot hear a bike right next to you.

There is a proposed new racetrack in Calabogie (4 hours from Toronto in the middle of nowhere). They have had to jump through hoops to get approval, although it looks now like it is going to happen. Countless noise studies have been done and there are hills and huge areas of trees (very good sound absorbers) between the track and the nearest neighbor. Probably it will not even be possible to hear anything happening on the track at all. But still people complain. They don't listen to logic and reasoning.

There is nowhere in southern Ontario that has a large enough tract of land with sufficient buffer zone to its neighbors to allow any new racetrack to be built like that (and the land is too expensive).