Not thrills, but crimes – SDPD, CHP join crackdown on illegal street racing

A wrecked Ford Mustang from a illegal street racing development in Otay Mesa File photo courtesy of OnScene TV Drivers be warned if you pull a Fast Furious on the streets of San Diego you can expect to lose your wheels or worse That was the message of city county and state law enforcement agents Tuesday as they sought to drive home the extent of the dangers and costs including injury forfeiture of vehicles and imprisonment posed by illegal street racing so-called sideshow stunt-driving exhibitions and evasion of officers on constituents roadways In modern years these behaviors have resulted in serious injuries fatalities property damage and major impacts on our neighborhoods San Diego Police Department Lt Travis Easter stated reporters Tuesday afternoon during a briefing outside police headquarters They held the news conference less than hours after a Chula Vista teen was killed in what functionaries alleged was a event of street racing A notable component of the heightened measures for such roadway offenses is confiscation and demolition of perpetrators vehicles a measure that had not been employed locally for about years Easter noted In the past few days the SDPD secured court orders allowing it to use a car crusher to destroy a Toyota Chaser sedan and a Yamaha R motorcycle that had been used in the commission of reckless-driving offenses according to Easter The San Diego Police Department and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding offenders accountable through enhancing enforcement operations bicycle impoundment and criminal prosecution where appropriate the lieutenant revealed Offenders can face imprisonment and forfeiture of their vehicles Joining the SDPD in the effort are the California Highway Patrol San Diego City Attorney s Office and county District Attorney s Office Drivers seeking adrenaline rushes or notoriety through high-risk driving need to realize that population streets and freeways are not race tracks CHP Capt Mike Vargas commented noting that legal private facilities are available for such pursuits We re here with one clear message Vargas commented Illegal street racing and reckless driving are not thrills they re crimes Right here in San Diego we ve seen lives lost and families torn apart because of this dangerous behavior Law enforcement agencies also need the locality s help in effectively addressing the roadway hazards the captain added If you see dangerous driving behavior or know of a planned race say something Vargas commented Dial or use CHP s non-emergency line - -TELL-CHP - Your call could definitely prevent the next tragedy