CHP Says Fatal Accident is Result of Street Race



It appears that street racing has taken another life in the Sacramento area. This time the victim had nothing to do with the race.

According to California Highway Patrol, two Mazdas were racing on Del Paso Road near Arco Arena at about 4 p.m. Friday when a Chevrolet Cavalier made a left turn and crossed in the racers' path.

Officers say one of the Mazdas struck that car broadside, flipping it over and killing 40-year-old Kimberly Marie Wheeler of Woodland instantly. Wheeler had been pulling out of the parking lot at the coffee shop where she worked when her car was struck.

The driver of the Mazda, 18-year-old William Joseph Mitchell, and a passenger were taken to Mercy San Juan Hospital with moderate injuries. CHP officer Max Hartley said Mitchell has been interviewed and could face vehicular manslaughter charges.

The other vehicle involved in the street race turned himself into police late Friday night. Police had been looking for a black Mazda RX-7 driven by a white male adult who goes by the first name of Matt. That 19 year old driver from Rio Linda turned himself in to authorities at 10:30 p.m. Friday.

Hartley said that driver has been interviewed and released by officers while the investigation into the crash continues.

 

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what was the lady doing pulling out in front of traffic?

3 idiots = death.

 

^^^ she probably though they were going the speedlimit, giving her enought ime to cross the road.

 

sorry.. maybe I didn't see it because there are some many F$#@ing for sale threads here.

 

Thats funny.

 

**UPDATE**

Street racer involved in fatal crash comes forward

The driver of a 1988 Mazda RX-7 which sped away from the scene of a street-race accident that claimed the life of a Woodland mother in Natomas on Friday has come forward and turned himself in to authorities.

According to a report in Sunday's Sacramento Bee, the 19-year-old Rio Linda man, whose name has not been released, called a CHP dispatcher at 11 p.m. Friday, CHP spokesman Max Hartley told the Sacramento newspaper on Saturday.

The driver then drove himself to the North Sacramento CHP station, where he was interviewed by investigators. The man was not arrested but could face charges in connection with the accident pending the outcome of an investigation.

Killed in the street race was Kimberly Marie Wheeler, 40, who died on impact as a 2003 Mazda 6 driven by William Joseph Mitchell, 18, of Sacramento, crashed into the driver's side of her 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier, flipping the car several times until it landed on its roof in a ditch 75 yards away on the opposite side of Del Paso Road. She was wearing her seat belt.

Wheeler was pronounced dead less than 15 minutes after the crash. She leaves a 16-year-old son in Woodland.

The illegal street race occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Friday afternoon. One of the racers driving at least 80 mph.

The newspaper quoted the California Highway Patrol and saying that witnesses reported seeing two cars racing eastbound at between 80 and 90 mph on a wide, straight stretch of Del Paso Road west of National Drive shortly after 4 p.m. when the accident occurred. The posted speed limit is 45 mph.

The unidentified driver of the 1988 Mazda was racing against Mitchell.

Mitchell and a passenger, who were both wearing seat belts, were transported to Mercy San Juan Hospital for observation. The case is under investigation, and charges are pending, according to the CHP.

mods: please merge the two threads about this...

 

What a fucken tragedy. Dumb *** kids.

 

she probably wasn't paying attention.
don't mistake this--i'm not defending those ***** in any way, shape, or form....street racing at 4pm on a friday afternoon, what did they THINK was going to happen?

2 idiots and one lady not paying attention= death.

 

while street racing is dangerous, it was probly her fault. Even if they had been doing the speed limit and she was turning left, IF they hit the side of her it wouldn't matter how fast they were going she pulled out without enough entry time. They still shouldn't have been racing but IF the lady was paying attention it wouldn't have happened.

 

Survival of the fittest.

 

There's a big difference in damage and outcome, if one is hit at 35-40 mph vs 80 mph.

Could be the difference between life & death.

Could be the difference between being able to see and react in time OR NOT.

Senseless.

 

agreed^ But it's hard to judge the speed of moving cars when you're looking straight at them.

 

the two guys racing are dumb kids, i know the guy who drove the 6 that crashed, he owns an FD too that he jus bought not long ago, luckily he didnt total the FD. but yea, he's dumb, i knew he was gonna wreck sooner or later, stupid sh*t, luckily i didnt drive my FD around there to the home depot there or else i woulda been pulled over for wat they did

my condolences to the family

 

Not matter who's fault it is....The point is...They shouldnt of been street racing......

 

i say lock those kids up and throw away the key for sheer stupidity.

you wanna race, go tot he track or at least find a deserted strip of road out in the middle of nowhere at 3am on a tuesday night... NOT rush hour on a busy street in town.

 

^on a friday

 

Junkie, I don't know how you throw the lady in the "idiot" catagory. She was just driving. The closing rate at 90 mph would be considered "Double" over 45 mph (assuming the speed limit was 45 mph but you get the point) Why would you say such a thing about a poor victom. And yes She was probably very ignorant about pulling out in front of people going that rate of speed............that is why we have speed limits. Freeways have big long on ramps so you can pick up speed and merge. Why do you think we go through such trouble with these on ramps??? 'cause the average person cannot judge speeds such as this.

I don't agree with the assesment given to a victom of idiocy.

www.speedventures.net

Get your speed jones out.

 

Well I dunno about you but If i saw two idiots flying down a road I WOULDN'T be caught dead anywhere near them. no pun intended. Let them get away from you THEN pull out. Not trying to justify street racing, but that lady could have easily saved her own life.

 

Some people do not seem to realize that roads may be posted based on reaction time...

For example. If you are pulling out of a lot where the road is marked 35 MPH, there may not be any cars approaching within view. But because of the posted limit, you will have time to get onto the road, and the approching drivers will have time to see you and slow down. Yet, if some *** is racing around a bend [Edit: or even a stright road] at a high rate of speed, what was not in view a second ago, may be coming to kill you.

This is one of the reasons street racing is for idiots. If you kill someone while racing, I think you should be thrown into a dark cell for a very long time.

So, I don't think you can blame the victim for the two idiots that killed her.

 

were the two drivers on the forum?

 

don't get mad at me because the lady wasn't paying attention. it's a terrible tragedy--one that could have easily been avoided.

 

Agree with junkie here.

Notice that she got hit from the side not from behind. She was not paying attention, if she had she would had been rear ended.

How many times has a dumbass driver turned left into your lane and made you hit the brakes hard? I think this one of thoses cases except this time the oncoming traffic was going 80 MPH.

 

Also agreed with ^ those two... lady had her part to play... look at the news report, the road is not blind.. it's big... open... and obvious.

Unfortunately you really can't count on people to have any semblance of brain activity, drive accordingly.

--Gary

 

the idiotic who wrecked owns an FD, he knew nothing about FDs, me and fd3s_rx7 told him about the forum to come take a look b4 he totals his car or life lol don't know if he ever made it or not