Fatal Staten Island Drag Race

A 17-year-old girl was killed after a drag racing incident on Staten Island last night. According to the Advance, a 2003 Honda Accord and 1994 Ford Mustang crashed into each other on Veterans Road West near a Charleston shopping mall. Six other teens were injured.

The Ford, which had a tank of nitrous oxide (to help it go faster) in the trunk, swerved across the road. The Honda "smacked into a metal stanchion protecting a fire hydrant" and split in half. Michelle Arout and Tommy Barclay were sitting in the back seat of the Honda and were thrown from the car; Arout died while Barclay is in critical condition. The Honda's driver and front seat passengers are in stable condition at SIU Hospital (the front was at least 30 feet from the back of the car; the two were able to walk away), while the Ford's driver and passengers are in stable condition at Ocean Breeze Hospital.

The speed limit for the road is 35 MPH, but no charges have been filed against drivers yet. A commenter on the Advance's website silive.com wrote, "Judging by the vehicle type and location, I would say it was a [drag] race. You gonna race, don't have any passengers with you. But you should not race on city streets at all. Go to Englishtown, N.J., and do it right." (The Old Bridge Township Raceway Park is in Englishtown, NJ.)

Photograph from the SI Advance

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By Jen Chung in News on July 24, 2007 1:16 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

Karma shmarma. Sarcasm is perfectly appropriate for occasions of gross stupidity. You don't get the money to custom upgrade your POS car -- nor the time to hang out with the loser and wonder what 120mph feels like -- when you're a productive member of society. Yes, even at 17. Even in summer.

guest

ohhhhhh! karma got me.

were the passengers related to the guy who had the landslide and then died while jogging?

guest

#1 - more satan island losers

give SI to NJ

#9 - thank goodness it happened in Staten Island.

more karma payback. too bad the NOS system didn't explode, that's if NOS is combustible.

anyway, too bad it didn't.

Isn't the core fact here that a 17 year old child died? Someone's sister, daughter, friend.

Kids have always and will also continue to make foolish mistakes...as do most adults...

BUT please refrain from equating your random opinion of Staten Island to having joy, or psuedo-hip aloofness or scarasm, or anything at all to do with this teenager who was killed in a truly horrific and senseless act.

Is it so cool to make fun of a place that it is worth disrespecting a life lost?

guest

Number 9 your karma will get you.

guest

its sad i feel bad for the girl and her boyfriend also her parent that why when i use to street race i never had anyone in my car and when we race it was a dead street with zero feet traffice and car thats why i gave it up a long time ago and when i feel the need to race i go to the race track no matter what i dont car i would ratter see another day then go fast when it not needed

guest

paul walker? not vin diesel?

Ace

How very sad and what a foolish waste. 17 year old Michelle Arout, died. I really feel for the parents and hope that the other six teenagers are all right.

guest

From the injuries, Im guessing the people in the back didnt have seatbelts on, tragic.

BTW: NoS really does make you go so fast that the world blurs by.

zodak

there was a tank of NOS in the ford. (& paul walker was seen leaving the scene)

guest

thank goodness it happened in Staten Island.

more karma payback. too bad the NOS system didn't explode, that's if NOS is combustible.

anyway, too bad it didn't.

TKaisen

I think in *most* of these cases charges must come later. Here's an obvious case - it'll be provable that the kids were speeding by analyzing the scene, and (I believe) there are special laws against racing which prosecuters will be happy to apply

While I'm not a prosecutor, I would assume that it has to do it being really hard to get a conviction or a plea deal in cases like this. And, most of the time, it probably really was an accident and a first-time offense. Or, in at least a couple of these things, the pedestrian being struck was either ignoring traffic signals or jaywalking.

Not every accident should mean jail-time. Even if it results in a death. Subway engineers kill people by mistake, too... it doesn't mean they should spend time in prison.

And, even to apply drag-racing laws (if they exist) you have to actually prove they were drag-racing and just not driving like retarded teenagers.

guest

I bet the mustang won

Reality Czech

I'll keep saying this, the drinking age should be 16, the driving age should be 21. Maybe it will catch on.

mocanlagunas

Another thing that we might learn from this is that backseat passengers should also wear seatbelts. I always wear seatbelts no matter where I'm sitting... specially if I'm in the center seat at the back...

mihow

I only wish these kids (drivers/survivors) were forced to get their word out after the fact letting other teenagers know what it feels like to kill someone due to reckless driving. I imagine they might convince others that it's not worth it in the end.

I see this type of driving take place often on Meeker Avenue under the BQE. (We live near there) It's downright scary.

bklynd

OK this is my little hobby-horse now. For a while almost every crash story has included the info "no charges were filed" and we get scores of indignant commenters saying that basically you can kill people with your car and get off scot free. I think in *most* of these cases charges must come later. Here's an obvious case - it'll be provable that the kids were speeding by analyzing the scene, and (I believe) there are special laws against racing which prosecuters will be happy to apply.