2 Fast 2 Furious Blamed For High-Speed Crash Deat

[Guest EdwardKnoxII]

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/2257124/detail.html

 

Racing Movie Blamed For High-Speed Crash Death

 

GRANADA HILLS, Calif. -- A high-speed crash involving a driver who had just seen the street-racing movie "2 Fast 2 Furious" left a 78-year-old motorist dead, police said.

 

Vahan V. Shahenian, 23, of Granada Hills was traveling nearly 100 mph on a residential street Sunday when his 2002 Nissan Altima broadsided a car driven by Keiji Iko, who died instantly, police said.

 

Authorities do not believe Shahenian was racing another vehicle at the time.

 

"This is '2 Fast 2 Furious' right here in the Valley," police Detective Kathleen Burns said. Authorities are looking to find new ways to crack down on street racing. The sequel to "The Fast and the Furious" was expected to trigger an increase in dangerous high-speed driving.

 

Police deployed extra officers around some movie theaters before last week's opening of "2 Fast 2 Furious." Police arrested several people in North Hollywood and elsewhere, Capt. Greg Meyer said.

 

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday passed a measure permitting police to permanently confiscate and sell cars used in street races. It has yet to be signed into law by Mayor James Hahn.

 

Iko, a retired engineer, was turning left in his 1993 Toyota Camry when the crash occurred, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene and Shahenian was taken to a nearby hospital with a broken arm. A passenger in his car was treated for internal injuries.

 

Shahenian claimed he was driving the speed limit, investigators said.

 

 

I'm real sorry the guy died but, to blame it on the movie is just wrong. The kid wasn't speeding cause of the movie he was speeding cause he was a dumbass.

[Guest redbaron51]

okay first of all.

 

Its just a conincidence, that this happened when 2 Fast 2 Furious just came out. If it happened last summer, no one would have cared. Its just a way for authorities to blame the media for this incident.

 

Of course the kid had to be a dumbass to drive that fast. If you can't handle the speed, then don't speed.

[Guest hardyz1]

If the piece of shit hadn't killed an innocent person, I would be happy about this. Either way, I'm happy he died, and I hope idiots like him follow suit. Except without taking innocents with them.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

There are the people I want to laugh at for damaging their precious cars trying to be badass and there are the people I simply want to kick in the teeth for damaging their cars and ruining someone else's life in the process.

 

Shahenian claimed he was driving the speed limit, investigators said.

 

I want to see the scene of the wreck. There should be a significant difference between a broadside crash at residental speed and at triple digit speeds.

 

And I really hate people pointing the blame at other things. It was Shahenian behind the wheel. It was Shahenian putting his foot on the pedal. And it was Shahenian that was involved in the accident. Bottom line: A 23-year-old driver should well know the rules of the road and the difference between real life and a movie. Help us all for the idiots that don't get this simple piece of logic.

[Guest Urine Sane]

Either way, I'm happy he died, and I hope idiots like him follow suit. Except without taking innocents with them.

 

Your happy the old man died? The driver only had a broken arm.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

The way he worded it, I'm sure hardyz1 thought the driver responsible for the crash died as well.

 

Anyway, I think that sometimes it's better for lunkheads to survive. Living with the fact that your actions were directly responsible for the death of another human being is a damn sobering thought. That's not even counting fines, jail time, having vehicular manslaughter on your record, repair costs, inflated insurance bills, and the pain of having the victim's loved ones cry over the misery that your actions have caused.

 

..but if he doesn't learn his damn lession and gets into another speeding related accident, it's time to bust out the vigilante justice against the outright stupid.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Wow, I wonder what movie will be the next scapegoat for society's ills?

 

I say someone thinking he was the Hulk gets mad and kills another person in a road rage-like situation.

 

It's stories like this that make me prefer to have some blue-haired 80-year old driving 10 miles under the speed limit in front of me than some 20-year old driving 30 miles above the speed limit behind me...

[Guest hardyz1]

Errr, yeah I fucked up. I wish the stupid fuck would've died rather than an innocent person.

[Guest hardyz1]

Wow, I wonder what movie will be the next scapegoat for society's ills?

"My son saw The Matrix and he tried to jump off a building. I'm suing those scumbags!"

 

I could just see it.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Hey, I've seen drunks try to run up walls and fight in slow-motion, don't think a sober person wouldn't try the Matrix stuff.

 

Anyways, while there was certainly an increase in racing activity around here in the last week or so (it rained the entire opening weekend), it's not really more noticeable than usual to the casual observer. I've never seen people race anywhere around here except on the highway though, because the police are very good at stomping out racing on surface streets and thoroughfares (because we have a LOT of those around here that are just straight for three to five miles).

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Wow, I wonder what movie will be the next scapegoat for society's ills?

"My son saw The Matrix and he tried to jump off a building. I'm suing those scumbags!"

 

I could just see it.

The kid who, I think killed his parents, and his lawyer is trying to use the fact that he was obsessed with the movie The Matrix as a defense comes to mind. I could be wrong on the details but I at least remember the lawyer using that defense.

[Agent_Bond34 0]

I'm real sorry the guy died but, to blame it on the movie is just wrong.  The kid wasn't speeding cause of the movie he was speeding cause he was a dumbass.

Personally, I agree.

 

You can't blame a movie for the stupidity of another person.

 

This is similar to all of those "wrestling-related" deaths that happen every now and then.

 

Wrestling gets blamed because of some kid being stupid enough to try moves on his/her/it's little brother/sister.

 

Similar incident here.

 

And it's just as pathetic too.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

If you look past the headline, the story itself doesn't really blame the movie for the accident. They just make a point that street racing is expected to increase because of the release of the movie.

[Guest El Satanico]

I'm surprised Dukes of Hazzard has never been blamed for someone running from the police.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

call me crazy, but didn't I hear about some people driving fast BEFORE the Fast and the Furious/2 Fast 2 Furious came out?

[Guest DrTom]

People, it's very obvious the movie is to blame here.

 

This fellow was obviously so happy that the lame piece of shit was finally over, that he sped out of the theatre in a rush to put the whole experience behind him.

 

This is an accident that could have been prevented by better moviemaking.

[Guest El Satanico]

call me crazy, but didn't I hear about some people driving fast BEFORE the Fast and the Furious/2 Fast 2 Furious came out?

Yes...and I blame that on Bullit

 

Damn you Steve McQueen...how dare you inspire people to drive fast.

[Guest Ripper]

I'm surprised Dukes of Hazzard has never been blamed for someone running from the police.

Although, if I could pause in mid-air and have some country guy say "Now them boys in some trouble" I would run from the cops all the time.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

"The kid who, I think killed his parents, and his lawyer is trying to use the fact that he was obsessed with the movie The Matrix as a defense comes to mind. I could be wrong on the details but I at least remember the lawyer using that defense."

 

Someone was watching O'Reilly -- I saw that segment, too.

 

I remember back when 101 Dalmations came out a lot of people bought those dogs not knowing they are high maintenence (sp?). Then shortly thereafter animal shelters reported a lot of them going to the pound.

 

I hate humans...

[Guest Ripper]

You say high maintainence I say completely insane and likely to tear everyone in the family apart first chance they get. Next to the Chow, no dog is more naturally insane than Dalmations.

[Guest Mole]

People will probably sue because they didn't put one of those disclaimers before the movie saying "Don't drive like this, these are professional drivers."

[Guest Bannable Offense]

People will probably sue because they didn't put one of those disclaimers before the movie saying "Don't drive like this, these are professional drivers."

That's what's terrible about this whole situation. People are actually stupid enough to need these kinds of warnings. If you can't depend on your own common sense that you can probably cause alot of damage or even die emulating the stunts you see in movies, you're an idiot, plain and simple. If you sue because you're an idiot, you also deserve to be beaten.

[Guest WukenBloodstar]

Oh yes, when you can't find an excuse for somebody's stupidity. Blame it on a movie! It ALWAYS works.

 

People have been "racing" before The Fast And The Furious movie came out. They should take a look at one of the major cities in Cali. SD I think. They hold Street Racing(legal) at one of the stadiums. I'll find the link to the site about it.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

"Errr, yeah I fucked up. I wish the stupid fuck would've died rather than an innocent person. "

 

Ermm, how callous can you be? Sure it's a very stupid mistake that cost someone else' life, but to wish death on that person is sheer ignorance. He'll serve his time and I guarantee he'll never have speed again. It just shocked me that someone could be so ignorant as to wish death on someone for something that was unintentional in the first place. That last part about wishing other speeders to die too is a little harsh too, since almost everyone speeds.

 

For the guy who said that only people who know how to speed should speed, no one KNOWS how to speed, they just are lucky enough so that nothing happens to them. It could be that the other driver couldn't handle the situation. Besides, a 78 year-old man probably isn't the best of drivers anyway, could just be my opinion though.

[Guest BDC]

People, it's very obvious the movie is to blame here.

 

This fellow was obviously so happy that the lame piece of shit was finally over, that he sped out of the theatre in a rush to put the whole experience behind him.

 

This is an accident that could have been prevented by better moviemaking.

 

 

 

Now, as for what hardyz1 said, I think you should reread the quote. "rather than an innocent person" is the key phrase and unfortunately, a very common one.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Why does one automatically have to assume that one of them has to die?

 

I'm assuming he meant that it's sort of like a penalty, but I didn't know that they bumped up the price for speeding from a ninety-dollar ticket to your life...

[Guest Bannable Offense]

From what I'm reading in the report, it doesn't say he was actually caught speeding, but I guess they figured it out from the wreckage.

 

Anyway, I think that sometimes it's better for lunkheads to survive. Living with the fact that your actions were directly responsible for the death of another human being is a damn sobering thought. That's not even counting fines, jail time, having vehicular manslaughter on your record, repair costs, inflated insurance bills, and the pain of having the victim's loved ones cry over the misery that your actions have caused.

 

CED says exactly what I feel. He made his mistake and now he's going to have to carry that weight. Accidents happen all the time, but do we execute every person that causes an accident? It's not like this kid said to himself "I'm gonna kill somebody with my car." Yes, it's a stupid and horrible mistake, but it was a mistake and not intended. He's carrying a heavy burden now and it will get heavier once he's arraigned in court, so leave it at that.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Never curse the name of Steve McQueen or Bullitt again!!!

[Guest Mole]

Didn't the whole idea of the movie come from kids street racing in LA?

[Guest Bannable Offense]

Hell, Grease had a street race, so the entire concept is nothing new. They probably had street races even before cars going over 10 MPH was a big deal.