Street racers could lose their wheels
By Beth Kassab | Tallahassee Bureau
Posted May 4, 2005

TALLAHASSEE -- Alarmed by four deaths in Central
Florida last year, the Legislature on Tuesday approved
tougher penalties for motorists who race their
souped-up cars on public streets.

Under the bill sent to Gov. Jeb Bush, racers could face
up to five years in prison and lose their cars -- often
the objects of expensive upgrades and fancy indulgences
by teenage boys.

Rep. John Quiñones, R-Kissimmee, said the new penalties
will help stop street racing, which contributed to at
least four traffic deaths in Central Florida last year.

"Word gets out that somebody lost their vehicle, and
it'll go through the right circles real fast," said
Quiñones, who sponsored the bill (HB 71).

The proposal calls for first-time offenders to be
charged with a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by
up to a year in jail. For a second offense in a
five-year period, drag racers can be charged with a
third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Under current law, first-time offenders can serve only
a maximum of 60 days in jail and second-time offenders
just a year in jail.

Street racing has emerged as a major issue for local
law-enforcement officers in recent years, said Orange
County sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons, prompting
special details by deputies targeting racers.

"Anything that can be done to discourage these kids
from street racing is a good thing," Solomons said. "I
would think that the prospect of losing their vehicle
is a big gun in the hands of law-enforcement agencies."

The aggressive driving and speed that come with street
racing are not only dangerous to participants but to
other drivers on the road who are just trying to get
from one place to another, he said.

In one 2002 Lake County case, a race between two men in
their 20s resulted in the accidental death of two
people, including his own mother.

The racer, Dwight Samples, was going nearly 120 mph
when he inadvertently hit his mom's car. He was
convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to four
years in prison in 2003.

"There seems to be a new mind-set of these kids where
it's any place, any time with total disregard to their
surroundings," he said.

Beth Kassab can be reached at:
bkassab@orlandosentinel.com or 850-222-5564.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-locdrag04050405may04,0,48980
68.story
Copyright © 2005, Orlando Sentinel

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State of the Union Address - 1942