The other man currently in custody is Michael Gevorgyan and his lawyer is claiming that he was not driving the other vehicle but rather he was in the middle of the street operating the light to start the cars. Michael Gevorgyan is also being held on $2-million dollars bail at this time. Perhaps the most interesting bit of information in the TMZ story (which is linked by clicking the image below) is the fact that they called Valenzuela shortly after the fatal crash and asked if he was involved as they had been tipped off that he was. On that phone call he denied being there.
The timing of this after the NHRA/Street Outlaws situation that erupted only a couple of weeks ago is pretty amazing. Both sides were (and are) staunchly dug in on each other’s right to conduct their business or live their lives as they wish but this situation, especially now that it has a tie to the show, no matter how cursory, takes on a different tone entirely.
All we know is that two people are dead and it did not have to happen. We’ll continue to follow this story.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO READ THE STORY AT TMZ.COM
Is this just the beginning of trying to make Drag Racing evil in the public eye now or what?
No, it makes STREET RACING evil in the public eye. Professional Drag Racing is held in a safe, controlled environment. The sad part is, the MEDIA can’t differentiate the difference in the two.
Anyone who “Street Races” is an idiot on a massive scale. I own a 2002 Z28 w/ tuned LS1 couple other mods. AND I would NEVER, EVER engage iin a street race. If you do engage in street racing you sir are a fucking moron. ONLY ON A TRACK!!!!!!!!Under “controlled” conditions should you even attempt to race a car.
Hey! A fellow 4G Z owner. 😀
I’m in the same boat. I’m building mine to be a fun cruiser and an occasional strip car… I’m constantly hounded by a couple of friends to go race somebody in a 5th gen, a mustang, or some shit. It’s not worth it. Sometimes money is part of the game but most of the time it’s just to boost your ego.
I’m not going to say I haven’t done it before, as I have. However…witnessing one massive wreck where someone takes out a 40ft x 30ft street sign and nearly slices their car in half (walked away no injuries), hearing about your best friend flipping his car doing 135 through a turn, and then seeing the fines/points/consequences that come with getting caught…not worth it to me anymore.
Your a faggot
http://www.dragzine.com/news/the-difficult-case-of-moe-atat-al-anabi-adrl/
It’s the beginning of trying to make drag racing look better by smearing an American subculture. It’s like the Boxing Federation attacking MMA (they HAVE), the WWE AND Dog Fighting just for good measure. Would that help Boxing? No, but some just can’t see the logic. Street Outlaws let an idiot on their show who went on to do something REALLY idiotic. Why not just work on making Drag Racing BETTER rather than cutting others down. People street race when Drag Racing is beyond their BS tolerance and means.
No smearing is necessary when people are killed by the activity. MMA, boxing, and wrestling are all fine because the participants are willing and knowledgeable of the hazards and they are not immediately deadly. Dog fighting is just plain cruel and inhumane and should absolutely be illegal. Drag racing should always be done on a dedicated strip with safety measures. We know full well that it can be done safely for bystanders. Build more strips if the demand is there for racing.
People die and suffer permanent injury from all combat sports. The analogy stands. There is an element of danger in any motorsport. Whenever at the track I will NEVER sit past the eighth at a quarter mile track. I know the risks. Maybe wander up near the traps then get the hell outta there. Top end bleachers? More risk, but more money for the track.
So someone standing on the side of an illegal drag race gets struck by a car and dies. He/she put them self in that situation. Its not like someone who was innocently walking down the street or someone innocently driving by. This was someone taking a risk in something very dangerous and they are at fault. The drivers are at fault of nothing more than illegal street racing. If im standing on the sidelines of an illegal street race and i get hit im going blame no one but myself.
very well said, sir….
The biggest problem the cops had back when I was street racing was crowd control. Might as well sue them too for failing to do their job and shut everyone up.
The part that I’m having trouble with is they have charged some one who hit no one and some one who was driving nothing.
Jim, the laws in California are stout. The weird thing is that the guy who they claim actually hit the people is saying that he was not in the car but was standing there with the flashlight to start them. Even in THAT position the guy would be up for murder I think.
That’s why the whole deal with izzy being charged is stupid…. because it is useless. what good does putting izzy behind bars going to do? he didn’t kill anyone and has no intention of. society gains nothing from this. it just breeds more disrespect for the law.
Yea I understand all that, but what I’m saying is at some point in the past someone in law enforcement, somewhere in the county, decided to push the envelope and try charging everyone with in breathing distance of a crime, and they succeeded. Ever since the laws have slowly morphed in to something that many have a problem with. I do have an inside story about someone I have know since Jr. High back in the late 60’s. He became a probation officer for violent offenders and I can remember a story form back in the early 80’s, approx, where he was doing a pre sentence report and couldn’t figure out how they found out about this particular drug deal that they convicted this person of. He called the arresting officer and the very slow response was that they had sold him the contraband. My old friend was speechless as this was the first time he had encountered this and once upon a time it was entrapment. Ever since the laws have been stretched further and further, most of the time without the approval of we the people. I can see the driver who hit no one being charged with some sort of misdemeanor and well as the starter or light man, whatever, who I believe I read was the owner of the offending car, but this is over stepping what is reasonable or proper. Who ever it was that was driving the car that did the damage should be the only one being hung. Sorry for the long winded post.
First off, know one will be tried for murder as there was never any intent for anyone to even get hurt, let alone get killed. Best your going to get is reckless endangerment, or vehicular man slaughter. I street raced for years, but the cars are faster now. You have to hold the spectators to some degree of common sense. You weren’t walking home from the grocery store and got killed. You were knowingly spectating an illegal speed contest from an unsafe spot. The sad thing is, instead of simply fixing the problem, some one has to go to jail, and future Street Racing will take a big hit. Simply get ten or twelve on duty cops to block off a safe street, check cars for belts and simple safety, and keep people behind the cars racing, and let it rip. You might loose a street light and wreck a car from time to time but lives will be spared and Street Racing will thrive as it will anyway, and the cops won’t have to catch people Street Racing because they will all be in one place, at one time, and it will be LEGAL. The rest of the police can do a better job protecting the people and the war between the racers, the community, and the cops will be put to rest.
This is a bunch of BS! For starters that isn’t even the street outlaws show. That’s someone trying to give the show a bad Rep. If a spectator gets hurt at an illegal drag race then that’s their problem. Not the people driving the cars. This probably is the nhra trying to get the show band because these Oklahoma guys are getting more attention than the nhra.
No worse than Rally car racing where fools line every turn less than a couple foot away from a nearly airborne car. ya know someone has been killed in those circles , but do ya hear about it? no. is it murder in those countries? no. it’s just a fool that put themselves in harms way. Our country is being devoured by political correctness. something happens and we need a new, more aggressive rule… for what? one moron. Yes these guys were street racing and it’s illegal. so what? there are meth heads stealing us blind. hard drug dealers killing people and ruining our lives, but that’s usually a slip on the wrist. rapists… REAL murderers… Spend the man hours and resources on finding real criminals.
I believe they have a road race in the city of Houston, TX. I know they used to anyways. And it wasn’t straight line drag racing. It was Indy cars tearing up through the downtown area.
Same rules here in Texas – you participate or if you watch, you get the same hammer.
(f) An offense under Subsection (a) is a state jail felony
if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person has
previously been convicted two times of an offense under that
subsection.
(g) An offense under Subsection (a) is a felony of the third
degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that as a result of
the offense, an individual suffered bodily injury.
(h) An offense under Subsection (a) is a felony of the
second degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that as a
result of the offense, an individual suffered serious bodily injury
or death.
According to Texas Penal Code a first offense will be up to a $2000 fine and no more than 180 days in jail.
Passengers can be punished just as severely as the driver who is illegally racing in Texas.The punishment for passengers is a class B misdemeanor that includes a $2,000 fine, up to six months in jail or both. Spectators, or anyone caught watching the event, can also receive a fine up to $500 and have their vehicles towed. Furthermore, if drivers who are participating in illegal racing events accidentally kill someone, they can face manslaughter charges and additional felony penalties.
I bet the NHRA was fast to rub that in the street outlaws face. It don’t matter if its the street outlaws or the small guys street racing every death involved in street racing is going to be blamed on the show. That’s why street outlaws never tell any one where they street race and you never see any one on the side lines.
Ah spectating comes with a court date , so evry spectator should be charged equally as the driver (s) .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtfC8jOxaqg is the driver a murderer… or do we have Darwin candidates? think about it. you can’t hold every ones hand all the time… and putting someone behind bars for doing nothing won’t help that.
If a spectator is killed at a NHRA event is the driver accused of murder?
I witnessed a accident and somebody died and they tried the driver at fault for vehicular homicide. No racing just an accident. Street racing is illegal and if you have an accident and somebody dies you will get charged with a homicide end of story!!!
Like the last comment, why doesnt everyone involved in every racing accident in which there is a death get charged? I am not against any form of racing. However, where there is racing, there will always be accidents. Any race car enthusiast knows by participating or just spectating you take a chance on being in that horrific accident. Its just a chance you take. There are deaths at racetracks involving spectators and drivers every year and unfortunately always will be. Nothing is ever a controlled environment anything can happen at any given point in time.
On May 27 1979 at least one spectator was killed and several more injured at Great Lakes Dragaway when Clayton Harris lost a flywheel. Google it and the only trace you will find is a transcript of a lawsuit against SPE who sold the bellhousing. I remember it only because I was there.
Even though he was in an illegal street race but didn’t actually kill anyone they’re holding him accountable because he participated. They better get everyone involved in building the cars, employees wheel manufactures etc… charged too! Cause yes he was participating but like I said he wasn’t driving the car that killed the bistandard but he gets 2 counts of murder. Total bullshit if you ask me, Like I said get everyone else who participated in building that car and send them to jail too! Only makes it fair cause they did participate in a way!
As long as I have lived in LA there have been two or three fatal street racing accidents a year. Sure, most are drivers or passengers, but why is this one in Chatsworth getting so much press?
This is why Doug Herbert strives to make public the distinguishment between “Drag Racing” and “Street Racing”……when the news reports illegal street races, they call it “illegal drag racing”…. DRAG RACING is a renowned, regulated, safe, and sanctioned pitting of two (or 4, as in 4wide nationals in Concord) very carefully constructed, tested, and proven Horsepower MONSTERS against each other for the enjoyment of fans on track and on TV. but when the news says “drag racing” in relation to unsanctioned illegal “street racing”, they blemish the REAL artists, real professionals, REAL HEROES that go 0-320mph in less than 4 seconds…..Man,,,,wish the mainstream media would get their heads outta their oil pans and use the CORRECT TERMINOLOGY…it will end up hurting our prized NHRA, IHRA, and lesser (but equally important) sects of “Drag Racing”….USE THE RIGHT WORDS, DON’T TARNISH THE HARD WORK OF SO MANY THAT DO WHAT THEY LOVE A QUARTER-MILE AT A TIME…. street racing is not IS NOT…..drag racing…..come on now…
A drag race is a contest of speed conducted in a straight line from a standing start. During periods of ignorance the media has called any speed contest a drag race. TV reported drag racing on Mulholland Drive which of course was ludicrous because that highway is noted for it’s tight turns. You are reversing the cliché slogan. It is drag racing is not street racing not the way you put it. Drag racing is suffering under manipulation and mis-management and racers are doing it more often and more in the open on streets. Cause and effect. Then the cause tries to discredit the effect.
On a separate note Doug Herbert campaigns against street racing because he lost a child that way. Nobody ever notes the irony of the fact that Doug Herbert injured several spectators at NHRA’s home track in Pomona with the undisputed all-time biggest ever engine explosion. Now when drag racing is suffering Doug Herbert has retired. No pure saints and no total sinners in this world.
Doug lost BOTH of his sons in that accident dumbass. He started B.R.A.K.E.S as a result.
Interesting comments from all, but I feel like I have to weigh in on this.
First off, if memory serves me right wasn’t purpose of the NHRA to curb early outlaw street racing and give it a place to happen LEGALLY?
Secondly,All of us drag racers know that street drag racing happens, all over the world at any given time, BRAG on it to you friends!! Do you think that throwing your name out there or being the one to beat on a T.V. show that promotes this illegal activity is smart or good business for any of us legal racers?
I for one, am totally happy being at any legit race track, admission paid, till 11 or 12 or whenever, waiting for a couple of racers who challenged each other to a race, to settle it in front of a crowd, knowing there are safeties in place, allowing those two racers to concentrate on nothing else except a win!!!
Thank you crappy T.V and Crappier build teams for allowing drag racers to put ourselves back into the crappy limelight to prove that drag racing is nothing but a public nuisance and should be abolished. Thanks for hearing me out.
Well said, anyone defending illegal street racing, or the depiction of it is a dickhead. Plain and simple, just like their brain power.
pablo escobar blew up am airplane in flight that killed over 100 people to ensure that he killed a single passenger on that flight. this story that reportedly is in some “cursory” way tied to Street Outlaws is very convenient for the tards at the nhra dont you think?
It was inevitable. Questions It looks like they race in the same places most of the time. Why don’t the cops shut them down. Makes you wonder if producers have an in with the cops. Will street racing ever stop probably not but organized events like this are just bullshit. You guys aren’t hero’s you think you are.
If you are referring to Street Outlaws it is common knowledge they DO pay off the cops. If you are referring to Chatsworth I dunno, I guess that spot is to remotely located from any Donut Shops or get’s poor cell phone reception.
Yeah you can absolutely blame the TV show!
I’m sure nobody commenting on this thread ever matted a fast car on the street and wrung it out well past the posted speed limits…..
On the bright side the Chatsworth Chamber Of Commerce is PLEASED. Now their ‘burb is renowned for more than just porn production.
The stupidity exhibited in some of these comments is mind blowing.
Blaming the victims? Seriously?!?!? That’s like blaming the victim of a drive by shooting because they didn’t duck for cover quick enough.
Buncha heartless bastards.
It’s like blaming the victim of the drive by if they were wearing a red or blue bandana and wandering the wrong part of Compton at 3 am. The shooter should still be caught and taken off the streets, but should the victim be pitied for dying without tasting the enrichening fruits of being an actual gang banger?
The victim should be pitied because they were human beings who were killed by the poor choices of another human being. Location or attire be damned.
Agreed to an extent. But let me ask you, do you stand down range and to the side when watching people fire guns?
I totally agree that the guys behind the wheel are 100% to blame! No race, no deaths. But man, I would think the spectators should take a little bit of responsibility for their actions.
If the people killed were just randomly walking down the street. You are 100% correct, nothing but pity for people losing their lives needlessly.
Let’s cut to the chase here. There seems to be a large group of people that think if enough sh**ty things happen the Discovery Channel will cancel a profitable TV series and dump the episodes they’ve filmed OR the public in general will become somehow disgusted, stop watching the show, cancel a tier of their cable service and stop buying the sponsor’s products to force the show off the air. REALLY NOW?????
I mean, it worked on Honey Boo Boo…..
Deepest condolences to the family of the person who got hit/crashed into- whatever.
If the whole thing with the nhra hadnt gotten so big in the public eye, would anyone even think of associating them with this?
The state has a policy of charging anyone involved with a street race in which a spectator or participant was involved with murder. This is a policy which the District Attorney uses called Implied Malice. The following link will take you to LAPD’s website. It’s no joke. The owner of the Mustang (even though he wasn’t driving) and the other racer will be charged. Count on it.
For those of you who would rather close your eyes to this – then don’t read any further and continue to be ignorant.
Implied Malice can be explained this way – you are the getaway driver in a bank robbery. One of your bank robber friends is killed in the commission of the robbery. You are arrested – and charged with murder because you were involved – even though you were not even in the bank. Doesn’t matter. The point here is that just being there as a spectator is enough for you to be arrested and charged as an accessory. This is why street racing is just too dangerous.
Don’t this this is a ruse – I know someone who was charged with Implied Malice because he participated in an impromptu street race in which the other racer – a motorcyclist – died. He was charged with Implied Malice and convicted – even with no prior record and a stand up man in his community. It’s real – if you participate even as a spectator and somebody does something stupid like this – you might be arrested and charged. Your ignorance of the law is no excuse. All of this is about an illegal activity. Drag racing on a sanctioned track is not illegal. So no one is charged when someone dies because this was not an illegal activity. But take it on the street and it is illegal.
http://www.lapdracing.com/StreetRacingcanbeMurder.html
Believe me the NHRA doesn’t like Street Outlaws. Let’s get one thing clear this show was and never has been a good thing for NHRA or any other division. Truthfully any time a show is on air taking the spotlight from the big show it hurts. NHRA can not really live with the fact this show is going on and making people feel as though it’s sorta “ok” to street race. Right now it was “ok” but when somebody got killed or hurt that changed the game ultimately. This show is just like what happened with Madhouse. The show had tons of viewers but was bad for business for NASCAR. They didn’t like the fact NASCAR was being shown in a more redneck light. That’s what killed the show not the lack of support. Let’s face it people watch all kinds of bull for reality shows. Most suck really bad and honestly Street Outlaws is kind of right up there. But it has one thing for it that we like, Cars and going fast. The show will get caned soon. Don’t look for it to last longer than maybe another year..
And Duck Dynasty was only good for a few seasons before cancellation? It couldn’t hold up under controversy? Street Outlaws is good for several more seasons and if NHRA can’t stand it they should have acted in 2013. They denied any potential in the show and now are back pedaling.
Too cheap,lazy or stupid to make their cars pass tech and run at a track.
No But if the NHRA catches their racers participating in street racing THEY will suspend their comp license
i read alot of these comments and they go back and forth. i have been street racing for over 20 years. in ANY sport you have consequences, participating or watching. who is more at fault here though. the two guys racing their cars? the guy starting the race? how about the people that set it all up? i believe it was just simply a tragic accident. to charge these men with murder is basically making an example of them and is not fair. sure, had they not been racing it would have never happend. also if the 2 gentleman weren’t there they would still be alive. those men either 1. understood that anything could happen. 2. they just didn’t care. thats why everyone should be behind the starting line and far enough off the road at the finish line. i can show you video after video of grudge races and regular races at sanctioned tracks that the nhra sanctioned where the same situation can and does happen. all because nobody thinks. everyone has opinions and everyone is certainly entitled to theirs and to express it, but before you point blame i just ask, as a fellow street racer, please think about all the circumstances that lead to a certain situation like this.