Throw the book at them!

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-men-charged-after-alabama-drag-race-crash-kills-three-n486526

I say go ahead and go after the parents of the children killed or injured as well. Use to be it was just as illegal to be a spectator at a street race as it was to be a participant.

Maybe I have a different out look. Guys this happened not too far where I live. I do not personally know any involved. I do know some of the groups they race with What happened was a tragic thing. Street racing is illegal. It always has been.
My question is how many of us on this board has ever been to, or participated in a street race. Even from a red light. I know for a fact there are many of of us who have. I was taken to street races as kid. Not at three but very young. I feel like I had a great Dad but he didn't always make the best decisions.
I'm not saying nothing should be done. I'm just not sure where all this fall's. The people are just as dead. Prob. the only innocent one there is the chid. Everyone else there knew what was going on. Somehow it just doesn't seem the same as going in someone's house and shooting them. But as I said they are just as dead.
They had a similar deal in Birmingham several years back. It was all over the news drag racers killing people. They completely failed to mention that excitement another guy shot and killed the money holder. He stole the money. I found out today from David Cole that this guy is now on death row. That part was hardly mentioned in the news.
I'm just asking everyone to look at ourself. It s like teenage pregnancy. I'm sure we all waited till we were married. There is a lot of guilty folks'we just didn't get caught.
I no longer street race. I still own a car that was a purpose built street race car. My son has a track day car. I've did my best to teach him not to the things I did for so many yrs. as far as I know it has worked.

I think the mother of the three yr old was killed in this accident as well.

Personally, I won't race if I think I am going to endanger someone else life. I would have to say it takes just a little bit of maturity to understand that harming someone is not worth it. It takes all the fun out of racing if it means you are going to spend the rest of your life in prison. It really surprises me just how many people there is that lack maturity, common sense and intelligence.

It comes down to accepting personal responsibility for our own actions. A parent taking a kid to an open street race where there is no expectation of safety accepts the responsibility of protecting their child. It then becomes a crime of child endangerment.

Yes I too have been known to have street raced in my early years and yes I got caught and had to accept the punishment for it.

Legal, or illegal there are still situations that require forward thinking from various safety aspects which those who understand need to address to those who don't. I have been in many off road Big truck winching situations where people are standing midway drinking and watching...Get out of this area! Tie a coat to a winch line and recover safely, as for the tv street racing any of the cars on that show are capable of running over the flag (light) man on any given pass that is why they invented the tree.As for the illegal street racing all participating played a part in the outcome as tragic as it is, I am not saying the driver should not be punished, I am saying more people need to be active participating, forward thinking individuals protect your kids and others. Rant over.

SandHillsHillbilly wrote:It comes down to accepting personal responsibility for our own actions. A parent taking a kid to an open street race where there is no expectation of safety accepts the responsibility of protecting their child. It then becomes a crime of child endangerment.

Yes I too have been known to have street raced in my early years and yes I got caught and had to accept the punishment for it.

Very true!

You have to be on defense at all times because one person stupidity can cost you your life or their own.

I agree and disagree with some of the opinions, but the main reason I said throw the book at them is "they left the scene". They are cowards and deserve no understanding or sympathy. Sure, one of them turned himself in later, but that's to little to late.

I've been to these events since I was a kid. I just have a hard time lining them up as hard core killers. I Fully agree with personal responsibility. That is what is wrong with this country from bottom to top. It's always somebody else's fault.
I guess I was over looking leaving the scene. If you have ever been to this type stuff the culture is if something happens you leave. Get a call cops are coming you leave. Wreck leave. Unless its yours No one wants to be hooked in with that.
I haven't run on the street in a long time. When I last run I guess my cobra has 400 hp on motor and 200 more on spray maxed out. These guys now show up at these races with 1200 hp hp cars in small tires. They are like a dart with one feather.
I rarely go to a street race any more. I will say it is like a drug. It is hard to quit. I even had someone drive the car for a while. My wife pointed out to me. You still own it.
That brings me back to the wreck at Birmingham. The truth was never told. That car was owned by some very famous people. They were not mentioned or implacted at all.The driver flew in from Florida to shoe the car. There are some serious money at some of these events.

^^^^^^ That last sentence is fact. Texas 2K in Houston is Big Money, National/World Players.

I play on the streets it's no secret but also have respect for the streets....if you play illegal you need to except the consequences... the wreck in Birmingham was on bush it's a well known hot spot at the time like WARD is saying you never hear the hole truth behind the race. street racing is so much part of drag culture it will never go away. They are there making money to some people it's a payday it's what they do.

No I dont't think they are hard core killers either, but I do think it should be no less than manslaughter along with a few other charges. They do need to spend significant time behind bars. I would be ok with 10-25. And you know at most they would only do half that maybe even a third.

This is a perfect example of not accepting responsibility for your actions. I say lock the mom up 10 years, transfer the kid's case to adult court give him some jail time and probation. Yeah he pled guilt but then used the excuse it was because he was rich he thought it was ok to do whatever he wanted without punishment.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/30/pizza-order-helped-lead-authorities-to-affluenza-teen-mother.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVoTCYxN0G0 That save the children from all danger is a pretty wide brush to paint with. This was the TX2k14 event we went to at a private airport. Needless to say we had no idea what to expect until we got there. Knowing what I know, we where very cautious, others did not care.

supervel45 wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVoTCYxN0G0                                                                                                                                          That save the children from all danger is a pretty wide brush to paint with. This was the TX2k14 event we went to at a private airport. Needless to say we had no idea what to expect until we got there. Knowing what I know, we where very cautious, others did not care.

Somethings carry more inherent danger than others. I don't think any of us would hand a box of matches to a 4 year old and tell him to go lite the stove. Then again some might think I am a bad grand dad for giving my 4 year old grandson a dirtbike for Christmas. It is called common sense which lately seems a lot of folks lack. You have to weigh the dangers and make appropriate decisions.

And no my grandson will not be riding his dirtbike without my direct supervision.

Mine had a 50cc 4 wheeler at 4 actually a few months before his birthday and he had to light the barbecue at that age also with supervision. I get what you are saying though. My point was all motorsports and most other fun stuff we all like is inherently dangerous. We are picking on this deal just because we don't like street racing and want to crucify the parents to make an example because it makes for flashy news head lines and we want to keep our virgin track racer reputation spotless which it is not by the way. Don't take your kid shooting in the woods either at a non sanctioned shooting spot you have no idea about either before getting there or hunting in a public forest for that matter and we did not even wear orange back then when I was a kid. The list could go on and on. I am not trying to condone street racing much less bringing your kids to them but, to put some of this in a better perspective before we start building the gallows and oiling the nooses.

It is a sad deal.

I wonder though, at rally races, people line the whole "track" and cars are flying by on dirt/gravel with almost no control inches from their toes!!

The media always gets a strange slant on these issues. The truth is far from what they write.

Bill

billandlori wrote:It is a sad deal.

I wonder though, at rally races, people line the whole "track" and cars are flying by on dirt/gravel with almost no control inches from their toes!!

The media always gets a strange slant on these issues. The truth is far from what they write.

Bill

And there are people killed almost every other race! Same can be said about the Baja 1000 and Dakar! It seems like the only reason it's not plastered on the news is because the people involved knew the risk. Unlike (example) NASCAR, they want to win races but they don't want to get hurt or die. Where in the original days that is what separated the men from the boys. Americans today seem to demand that they have their cake and eat it too. If they don't get their way or "heavens forbid" they don't get a reward for "second place" they throw a tantrum. It's almost to the point you can't call someone a dumb ass for being a dumb ass! They will want to protest about how they should have been the winner and actually get their way!

billandlori wrote:It is a sad deal.

I wonder though, at rally races, people line the whole "track" and cars are flying by on dirt/gravel with almost no control inches from their toes!!

The media always gets a strange slant on these issues. The truth is far from what they write.

Bill

They stopped the Houston Grand Prix downtown after the first spectator got killed. Lawyers are another reason we are in this mess. Anyone who buys their teenage kid a fast V8 sports/muscle car is as bad as the one who makes the 4 year old light the stove without supervision in my view as for as not a smart thing to do.

supervel45 wrote:

billandlori wrote:It is a sad deal.

I wonder though, at rally races, people line the whole "track" and cars are flying by on dirt/gravel with almost no control inches from their toes!!

The media always gets a strange slant on these issues. The truth is far from what they write.

Bill

They stopped the Houston Grand Prix downtown after the first spectator got killed. Lawyers are another reason we are in this mess. Anyone who buys their teenage kid a fast V8 sports/muscle car is as bad as the one who makes the 4 year old light the stove without supervision in my view as for as not a smart thing to do.

The Ambulance Chasers are a real big problem, soon they will be going after the big three, all the performance market, etc., for making the cars so fast....they did it with "big tobacco" and are working hard to get the gun manufacturers.

Bill

Do the Crime do the time.  these tv shows about street races aren't helping either.  
They glorify Street racing, pretending to have more talent than John force because they race on The street.

Everyone has a right to voice their opinion,so here is mine like it or not. If I had been at that illegal drag race and my underage son/daughter got killed because I was ignorant/stupid/selfish( or whatever word you choose to use)enough to have them there in harms way. I'm the one who should be charged w/manslaughter NOT the racer. The racer should be cited for drag racing/wreckless opp/or whatever but NOT for my negledgence.