140-MPH Street Racers Hit Gas Pump, Hooters--And Live

By Nelson Ireson

Nelson Ireson

Senior Editor BIO

Nelson is a Senior Editor at High Gear Media focusing on reviewing cars and covering the hottest topics in luxury and performance cars, car culture... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Forza Motorsport 5 Coming To Xbox One: Video
Like it or not, there's a new Xbox on the way, the Xbox One. Apart from the impressive new stats... Read More

• #3LEADERBOARD RANK
• 6340ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 229COMMENTS POSTED

1 6,326 views Mar 3, 2011

Follow Nelson

Add to circle

Dodge Neon SRT-4 burns after striking gas pump. Photo Suffolk County Sheriff via NY Daily News.

You might not think the Dodge Neon SRT-4 is the epitome of safety--certainly not up to the standards of the carbon monocoque in the Pagani Zonda--but that didn't stop the occupants of one from surviving a high-speed crash into a gas pump. A Mitsubishi Lancer racing the Neon also crashed, hitting a fence--its occupants survived, too.

The passengers inside the SRT-4 managed to escape the car moments before the gas pump they struck exploded, consuming the car. The Lancer (police didn't report it was an Evolution, but racing an SRT-4, we bet it was) that hit a fence outside a Hooters restaurant wasn't as severely damaged, though one passenger was injured.

So what caused all this hoontastic idiocy? Nothing more than poor early-20s judgment, says Suffolk County, New York Sherrif Chief Michael Sharkey. There were no alcohol or drugs involved.

There were, however, at least two sharks involved--Chief Sharkey, and Joseph Sharka, driver of the ill-fated SRT-4. If only there'd been a jump involved, street racing would finally have achieved a literal expression of the status it so richly deserves.

The drivers of both cars were charged with reckless driving, second-degree reckless endangerment, engaging in an unlawful speed contest, criminal mischief, unlawful fleeing from a police officer...and, of course, speeding.

[NY Daily News]