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Teen's car broadsided after drag raceBy LEANORA MINAI
© St. Petersburg Times,
Minutes later, as Hafley began to pull onto a grassy median near the starting point, his car was struck broadside by a Honda traveling at least 60 mph, twice the posted speed, police said. "I just T-boned him," said the Honda driver, 18-year-old Glen Nguyen, one of about 50 spectators along 16th St. N. Firefighters spent 40 minutes cutting through metal to free Hafley, who was taken by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center. He remained in serious condition Thursday after surgery, a hospital spokeswoman said. Although illegal, street racing remains a popular late-night activity in St. Petersburg. In fact, most of the teens police interviewed after Wednesday's accident had seen the movie, The Fast and the Furious, which is about nitrous oxide-powered cars and street racing. Along desolate roads and in parking lots, souped-up cars are matching up in brief but powerful displays of automotive muscle. Some cars, like Hafley's, race with tanks of nitrous oxide, a gas that boosts horsepower when mixed with gasoline. Since January, police have received 90 calls about reckless driving in the area of Wednesday's crash. At least 50 calls are for drag racing, said Officer Mike Jockers, who is investigating the crash. "Young adults get these high performance cars, and they want to show what they've got," Jockers said. "Unfortunately, they don't think of the consequences, and the consequence is this." Nguyen, who has not been charged, said he did not see 18-year-old Hafley pull out until it was too late. Nguyen was treated and released from Bayfront Medical Center. Through a hospital spokeswoman, Hafley's family did not return a request for an interview. The collision happened at 11:50 p.m. near 10050 16th St. N. The street is lined with businesses, and when the work day is done, the ribbon-like road is ripe for racing, police say. On Wednesday night, a few dozen cars were parked in the grass along 16th Street between Gandy Boulevard and 102nd Avenue. "At various times, these cars would pair up, head down the road and race," Jockers said. Hafley, of Pinellas Park, was behind the wheel of his 1992 burgundy Saturn. He matched up with the driver of a white Saturn and rocketed south on 16th Street for less than a mile. They made U-turns and headed north, back to the starting point. Nguyen, who said he was talking with friends and catching glimpses of races before he got in his car and decided to head home, thought Hafley had stopped and parked along the side of 16th Street. As Nguyen sped north on 16th Street, Hafley started to turn left onto the grass median on the west side of 16th Street. Nguyen struck the driver's side of Hafley's car. Police say the cars were not racing at impact. "Street racing isn't all that," said Nguyen, a St. Petersburg resident. "It might be fun, but once you realize what can happen, it's a little too late." - Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Leanora Minai can be reached at (727) 893-8406 or at minai@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
ST. PETERSBURG -- Reminiscent of the hot rod movie, The Fast and the Furious, James Hafley flipped a switch to shoot nitrous oxide into his car's fuel system. The souped-up Saturn screeched down the street late Wednesday in a drag race with another car.
