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Couple dead after alleged street racing incident
CTV.ca News Staff
A Toronto husband and wife on their way home from celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary are the innocent victims of a street race between two young men, police say.
Two red Honda cars were travelling north in Richmond Hill at about 9:50 p.m. Saturday, when one of the cars struck the couple's southbound vehicle.
Robbie Manchester, 47, and his wife Lisa, 43, were pronounced dead at the scene, just blocks from their home.
The couple leave behind a seven-year-old daughter, who was being watched by a family friend at the time of the accident.
"She's going to be totally devastated," said Pierre Frenette, whose daughter was babysitting the young girl.
"She is one of those kids that is devastated about a cat she lost five years ago."
Marco Gasparro, 19, of Richmond Hill, is charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death.
The 21-year-old driver of the other car is in critical condition in Sunnybrook Hospital. Charges are pending against him.
Police say the two racing vehicles were travelling 150 km/h in the 80 km/h zone.
Earlier this year, Toronto cab driver Tahir Khan was killed after two teens were allegedly street racing along Mount Pleasant Avenue, reaching speeds of up to 140 km/h in the 50 km/h zone.
Khan was days away from becoming a Canadian citizen after leaving his wife and home in Pakistan six years ago to build a new life in Toronto.
Tougher laws proposed
The weekend tragedy comes just days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced in Victoria, B.C. plans to introduce legislation to crack down on street racing.
On Thursday, Harper said he would make street racing a specific Criminal Code offence, with stiffer sentences for those convicted.
The prime minister said the legislation, which would be introduced this spring, would also include driving prohibitions.
Street racers currently convicted of dangerous driving face a maximum sentence of five years. If someone is injured the maximum is 10 years, and 14 years if sometime is killed.
Still, the promise for tougher laws doesn't bring comfort to friends of the Manchesters.
"These kids I'm sure listen to the news, they knew the law was coming in. It didn't stop them from having what they call fun," said Anita Kampen.
"But it's not fun. They have to redefine the term fun."
With a report from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney
more reason for that law the PM is trying to pass.
Killing someone with an excessively speeding car = shooting someone
Sentences should be = as well
Manslaughter is manslaughter. sure you didn't mean to drive into the back of a car at 160kph, but you chose to drive 160kph on busy streets. At that speed you cover a city block in a few seconds. Someone turning left on the street can glance over, see your car a block away and assume it's safe to turn. You'd never stop in time.
There are so many ways to get this out of your system. If Saskatoon, a city in buttf*** nowhere has a drag strip and autox, chances are you can find one near your city. You spend $300 on an intake then cry because it's $25 to use the drag strip... tards.
First of all I do not, in any way, condone what happened. It's a terrible tragedy.
Second, there are NOT enough venues for legitimate racers to run. Nor are there enough timeslots. There's NOTHING north of Barrie for racing, yet there are all kinds of people who would be willing to race legitimately.
When they start making it affordable to actually run a legal venue, they'll start popping up. Given the history of drag racing and car modding, you'd think they would have made this possible already. But, obviously, it's still harder than hell to make a new track.
FocusGuy7476,May 28 2006, 09:23 PM Wrote:more reason for that law the PM is trying to pass.
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Yup I agree, sooner the better.
In all honestly, the whole justice system is a complete joke. There are no 'real' fines/sentences for the crimes. Some of them, if not most, are absolutely pathetic. They need to have penalties that are 2 to 3 times as harsh, then you might see a change.....
wouldn't this be considered 2nd degree or 3rd degree murder. I think 3rd degree is not a premeditated act but you knew it was dangerous or something...
Quote:thirdâdegree murder
: a murder that is not first- or second-degree murder: as a : a murder committed in the perpetration of a felony not listed in the first-degree murder statute
yeah so this should be 3rd degree murder cause he knew he was breaking the law.
NOS2Go4Me,May 29 2006, 09:14 AM Wrote:When they start making it affordable to actually run a legal venue, they'll start popping up. Given the history of drag racing and car modding, you'd think they would have made this possible already. But, obviously, it's still harder than hell to make a new track.
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I don't know how difficult it is to get the right kind of approvals for a track, but it seems to me that if the market was there (ie: enough people willing to pay to race) then you would see them created.
But frankly I don't equate street racing with a lack of race venues. IMO Street racing is more about testosterone, a lack of discipline and a lack of consideration - and those things can be deadly on the track too.
It seems to me that if you're really into racing you'll find a way to get to the track - there are a number of people on this board that make a big effort to race legitimately; and I would hazard a guess that with the experience and knowledge they gain on the track, they are even less inclined to race on the street.
IMO street racing is akin to drinking and driving - more related to bad habits, bad choices, a lack of discipline, a lack of consideration and bad judgement. Drivers like that need to be taken off the street, and I'm pretty sure that making tracks available to them isn't the answer.
The first thing they should tell you when you get your licence is that it is a privelige to use roads and highways, not a right.
Harper came to Victoria because the whole country considers Vancouver and Victoria street racing capitals of canada..
ferreal?
Based on my last trip up to Edmonton, it'll be on that list real soon as well. I don't think I hit one red light where I didn't get a stare down from the car beside me. Even driving on the whitemud I had people pacing me looking over, then speeding up/slowing down wanting to run. It's rediculous.
the funny thing, is that I have NEVER had this happen to me. and I roll down the 3 buesiest main streets every night on my way home, and out and about..
never get challeneged, well maybe once or twice. If I lived in vancouver, I bet it would happen all the time. especially with all that I have done to my Focus, I would be a major heat score, thats for sure.
we had a JDM car show yesterday on the beach. some cool cars, about 99% of them were all asthetic mods, no real power. so maybe thats why I dont see them.
It's mostly about bragging rights amonst the youth... Even if they had more raceway tracks in southern ontario, people still get a "Thrill" out of doing it at a red light and they dont really "think" about what theyre doing when theyre all caught up in the moment.
I'm anti street racing, and take my car to the track regularly... but this law scares the crap out of me. Once the power hungry cops get there hands on it... Look out.
I can just see some punk "racing me", while I pull away slowly (but loudly) and I get thrown in jail...
PerfectSaiyan,May 29 2006, 08:23 PM Wrote:when a 'sic jdm' car tries to race me, and gets clobbered... smacking down noobs is fun
This kind of thinking is where the problem starts IMO - I'd like to suggest you take a critical look at the things you value most in life and if "smacking down noobs" on public streets is on the list - you sir need a serious adjustment. If it isn't ... then don't do it - because not only do you risk what you value most, you force others to unknowingly take that risk with you.
PerfectSaiyan,May 29 2006, 08:23 PM Wrote:kills on a track is something completely different, where you can produce timeslips, usually film of it, and then you are matched up evenly against another 200hp car, instead of a 130hp 1984 Acura Integra that with time and wear barely clears 100hp
Although what you say is obviously true (despite the unfortunate choice of words) in the context of the dangers of street racing the more important distinction is that racing on the track only risks those who choose to take the risk. That's fair.
PerfectSaiyan,May 29 2006, 08:23 PM Wrote:there are obviously pros and cons of the law.
There's nothing obvious about any cons to the law. Without having seen the wording of the law or even an interpretation of its intent you're jumping to conclusions.
PerfectSaiyan,May 29 2006, 08:23 PM Wrote:Like the first person a gung-ho cop wants to make an 'example' of and charge say me with 5 years in prison, only for gunning from a traffic light until 2nd gear is done (90km in a 50km zone) not that big of deal.
First ... cops don't determine sentences, judges do that. Second - you shouldn't be doing 90 in a 50 zone regardless of what gear you're in. Third - almost twice the limit is a big deal because 50 km is almost always a residential area. Fourth - public roads are not your personal playground and there is no such thing as a right to drive. It's a priviledge you have to earn and you have to earn it every time you drive. Fifth - when it comes to street racing I want the cops to be gung ho - zero tolerance is where it's at IMO and don't give me the crap about "only" doing 90 in second gear. If the car next to you is also doing 90 in second gear because your trying to beat each other - then that's a race my friend; and somebody dead from a 90kph collision is just as dead as someone from a collision at 190kph.
PerfectSaiyan,May 29 2006, 08:23 PM Wrote:but you guys have seen the laws in some states, where they take your car and crush it, and to get it back takes months and months of red-tape.. hopefully they dont try that crap, ive invested way too much in my Focus to loose it![right][snapback]190281[/snapback][/right]
Treat the rules of the road and the other people on it with the respect we all deserve then you have no reason to fear losing your Focus.
This is really sad.....
All I think is what if it was one of my parents or one of my children....
Don't get me wrong I have done my share of street racing... But its really getting out of hand........To many innocent live being destroyed... for a race thats just crazy......
Take it out to the back roads boy's
bingo, flamed!
proved myself right. leaving this thread.
PerfectSaiyan,May 30 2006, 05:02 AM Wrote:bingo, flamed!
proved myself right. leaving this thread.
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It's too bad you think being served up a plate of cold reality is being flamed - but when your thought processes are flawed it'll do you good to have it pointed out.
I hope for your sake you back down from a challenge on the street, as easily as you've backed down here.
The only thing you've proved "right" in this thread IMO is your inability to defend your opinion. Hopefully that's because you really don't believe you're being smart about it.
street racing anywhere is just plain DUMB!
Back in my hometown, if you wanted to race someone, you called up the cops, they closed down a backroad for ya, and you raced.
things are a bit different now, but if you really must "serve noobs", you can do it elsewhere. I get just as much a laugh out of the kitted civics highbeaming me on residentual streets, and tired eclipses blowing black smoke 'playing cat and mouse with me' on the freeway as I'm sure they get pride for being madd tyte street racers yo.
If you want to prove your ride, take it to the track.. street racing is for immature kids who've watched too much Fast and the Furious and shouldn't be driving in the first place.
I think I know why I don't street race.. I know what I can and cannot take on. So what's the point if I already know the outcome?
once you get past a certain age, and I think it's near 25 your desire to street race goes away. Like DP said if you know the outcome then day dream the race complete with agressive PT cruiser style shifting.