Car Race At Over 115 Mph Ends With Five Vehicle Crash

November 30, 2015

A 19-year old was arrested following a race that exceeded 115 mph on I-110 Saturday night that ended with a five-car pileup.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, all five vehicles were traveling southbound on I-110 just north of Cervantes Street. Prior to the crash, 19- Dequan Young was clocked traveling 117 mph in a 55 mph zone in his 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, along with a group of cars racing and driving recklessly.

The FHP said 24-year old Jonathan Hale in a 2011 Hyundai Genesis and 20-year old Christopher Reids were also involved in the racing.

Young lost control and collided with a concrete barrier wall on the shoulder of I-110 before colliding with Hale. Young’s vehicle bounced back onto I-110 and collided with Reids’ vehicle. The three-car collision caused traffic to come to a sudden stop, causing 33-year old Rebecca Digangi in a Hyundai Tiburon to collide with a fourth vehicle that fled the scene.

Young was arrested for causing the crash and charged with reckless driving resulting in property damage and racing on a highway. He was also cited for speeding.

Hale and Reids were given court dates for racing on a highway.

There were no serious injuries.

Comments

23 Responses to “Car Race At Over 115 Mph Ends With Five Vehicle Crash”

  1. David Huie Green on December 3rd, 2015 1:15 pm

    REGARDING:
    “. . . you must drive the speed limit everywhere you go, always use a turn signal(even if you’re the only guy on the road…I mean, it’s the LAW right?) never J-walk and otherwise just lead a great law-abiding life(and always HAVE) BULL. . . . . Until you can say that you NEVER did anything wrong, don’t bury the kid. ”

    While I agree we shouldn’t just kill everybody who ever did anything wrong and I hope he learned his lesson and doesn’t repeat such stupidity, I just can’t see equating driving a multi ton vehicle over a hundred miles per hour down a public road in the middle of the city with Jay walking or not using a turn signal when there is nobody around to be signaled by the fact.

    One can reasonably be expected to kill other people. The others may at worst lead to your own death.
    Killing yourself through stupidity is not the same as killing other people through stupidity and depraved indifference.

    Complaining there aren’t public roads where people can race is blaming the public for not meeting your personal desires. You can drive 500 miles per hour on private property because you don’t share it with my children and other loved ones.

    Feel free to do so.

    Personally, I have never raced because what I drove was always so old and dilapidated that it would have quickly fallen apart or blown up and I wasn’t rich enough to waste that kind of money.

    When other folks talked about how fast a car was, my folks always said, “Detroit made a million just like it.” The meaning is that it means nothing if a piece of machinery can go very fast. There is no honor in it, nothing special.

    David for the Blackbird spy plane

  2. Concerned Parent on December 1st, 2015 3:37 pm

    To the father and girlfriend of the 19 year old young man and anyone else who is defending and justifying his actions on I110. Really? Racing at 117mph on a busy interstate. Thank God no one was killed that day. He meant no harm? I guess the person who cut my son off on the interstate a few years ago meant no harm either. My son is dead because of someone else’s reckless driving. Take his license and keys away now before it’s too late.

  3. BD on December 1st, 2015 1:42 pm

    @really, your comments amuse me for several different reasons, but the one that really caught my attention was the fact you have a 2016 Mustang Fastback……….okay, they only MAKE one style of mustang so everyone KNOWS it’s a fastback(or a 2dr maybe?) The fact that you’re 47 is entirely irrelevant to judging this kids actions other than you must drive the speed limit everywhere you go, always use a turn signal(even if you’re the only guy on the road…I mean, it’s the LAW right?) never J-walk and otherwise just lead a great law-abiding life(and always HAVE) BULL. Being in my mid-50’s I STILL get the urge to drive to mess out of my cars and motorcycles but I know when and where to do it. This kid made an error and fortunately he didn’t hurt anyone seriously. He could very well be in jail for vehicular homicide and we all know that. I grew up when street racing was done all over town and the best place to go was old Bronson Field. We never hurt anyone out there(broke a ton of parts though) and often there was law enforcement out there with us making sure we didn’t get out of control. The problem now is they have taken the places away that used to be away from other drivers and the kids are going to do this regardless because that’s what they do. Is it right, no. Was it right 35 years ago when we did it….no. Should this kid be crucified because of what he did? No. He’ll get enough crap from fines and his driving record so he’ll hopefully learn a lesson. Until you can say that you NEVER did anything wrong, don’t bury the kid. As far as the other two go, they were run in to by this guy and were not participating from what is being said. That being said, if you’re driving down the interstate and a corvette runs in to you(in that mustang) at 90mph, are you guilty of racing him? Nope, you were just driving. Think about it.

  4. Nathan Findley on December 1st, 2015 8:18 am

    CAN YOU SAY IDIOTS !!!!!!!!!!

  5. ASHLEY on December 1st, 2015 5:41 am

    I dont.know this guy and yes he was wrong but honestly how many of you raced your vehices as a kid? Everyone has made mistakes in their lifetime,everybody makes mistakes.thank God nobody was hurt.nobody is perfect y’all should be commenting on these drug dealers and the violence.this kid was doing what we all have done before.

  6. Christianna Jones on December 1st, 2015 5:06 am

    He really is a Good person , I don’t know what would make him do this but he is a very well behaved young man just like his mother said everyone makes mistakes no one is perfect this is just something he’s gonna have to learn from!!

  7. Really?? on December 1st, 2015 2:24 am

    Are you serious? No one lost “their” lives? Thank God or your son would be facing more serious charges and would be looking at prison time. One of those lives could’ve been his. There were other people on the road and your “good boy” risked everyone’s life that was on the road.. Instead of going to look at comments on a news story and trying to rationalize his behavior(it shows bad decision making started at home for this young man). I’d be tanning some hide(adult or not) and rethinking my parenting skills.

    I’d hope that I raised my children better than to do this kind of stuff and taught them responsibilty and consequences of our actions. I hope they had enough respect for themselves and others not to jeopardize harming anybody but if they made decisions like this then maybe my parenting skills weren’t as good as I thought but either way you wouldn’t see me on this website rationalizing their deplorable behavior.

    Btw I’d like to see the statistics on most of the people commenting have done it before. I own a 2016 mustang fastback and I assure you I’ve never gone 117mph to see how fast it goes. Maybe it’s because Im 47 and not 19 y/o or maybe it’s because I value human lives more than showing other’s my fast car.

  8. coseys ex on December 1st, 2015 12:55 am

    I’ve made many mistakes in my adult life, however, never at 117 mph and they didn’t include putting others lives in danger around me.

    A mistake is dating the wrong person (been there) or missing a turn. Those are mistakes. This was a conscious decision to put others ,and himself, in danger and not a mistake

  9. JaDon Jones on November 30th, 2015 11:54 pm

    That’s my boy and like his girlfriend stated we all make stupid decisions when we’re young but no one lost there life in this situation ! They were racing ok and so what? Most of the people in these comments have done it as well ! Just to show off the speed of their car ! He’s a really good dude sports and good grades was what got him out of Pensacola so stop with all the negativity because you people don’t know this young man from a can of paint ! He’s just a athlete he means no harm

  10. Alexsis on November 30th, 2015 10:14 pm

    I’m so tired of people bashing my Bf yes he made a stupid decision to race or whatever he was doin on the interstate , but I’m sure it was never intended for that to happen the way it did anybody who knows him knows he a good person a smart young man , and will go out his way for the people he love he made a mistake. I’m tired of y’all acting like y’all never made a mistake before ! Yes I understand that people lives could have been took and I thank god EVERYBODY not just my boyfriend but everybody was okay he’s young you make stupid decisions when your young I’m not saying that’s an excuse but you live and you learn no need to bash him for this !

  11. Willy on November 30th, 2015 8:20 pm

    Dequan is actually a good person, never was a racing type of person but the temptation is a hell of thing and hard to resist when you’re young. Big mistake he made and will have to learn from it. Glad everyone was okay and no lives were taken.

  12. Vonshae Crosby on November 30th, 2015 8:09 pm

    he’s actually a good kid .. I’m sure this mistake will not happen again .. Everyone makes mistakes in life .. And we don’t pay for them forever .. God forgives .. That is all

  13. Sage 2 on November 30th, 2015 12:14 pm

    PLEASE…I ask the court system to put this home boy on a bicycle for the rest of his life or walking wherever he should need to go. He just can’t handle being behind the wheel of an automobile!

  14. Jimmy on November 30th, 2015 11:57 am

    What’s the big deal? This is how everyone drives around here!

  15. Bob C. on November 30th, 2015 11:31 am

    If the photo here is of Mr. D. Young, he sure looks much older than 19.
    Good no serious injuries to folks.
    Dumb move to race on I-110.
    He and others involved need to do some Community Service like washing the City Police Cars.
    Guess he’s a high school graduate, wonder what his work is to be able to own such a vehicle?

  16. molino jim on November 30th, 2015 11:29 am

    @BD- I guess the others who were in car # 4 left because they were late for work or what ever. There are races on the interstate and other roads– they just don’t wreck or get stopped by the “blue light special”

  17. Willis on November 30th, 2015 11:19 am

    2 fast 2 stupid

  18. mick on November 30th, 2015 10:05 am

    Revoke licenses, take the cars and crush them, hard labor in a road camp prison for all of the idiots

  19. Gary on November 30th, 2015 9:00 am

    When I was in my teens and early twenties, ( I am 47 now) I used to street race all the time. Stupid? YES! Never had any incidents because for the most part we went to very isolated areas where there was virtually no traffic. There is a spot some still street race, and it is VERY desolate, which still is not legal but there aren’t other motorists in danger.

    But to race at that speed on I-110 is just plain stupid and deserves hash punishment. A good reason I am driving a V6 Nissan Maxima instead of a hopped-up Mustang or Corvette…

  20. BD on November 30th, 2015 8:30 am

    the two kids that got tickets for racing supposedly were not involved in the one kids shenanigans but got popped(AND wrecked) anyway. I guess this is a good case of guilt through association but see how it plays out. I know a few folks that have gotten ticketed for spectating a race that weren’t even at the race at all but were sentenced before they ever hit the courtroom and weren’t able to defend themselves. Guilty for driving on the same road? Not how the system is supposed to work. Thanks to the idiots that are causing the problems, everyone who has a hotrod now is guilty through the same association I suppose.

  21. Niknak50 on November 30th, 2015 7:02 am

    Here is an instance of the public being exposed to grave danger, and yet the harshest sentence will be a slap on the risk. Wait and see.

  22. tg on November 30th, 2015 6:30 am

    They were just getting in some practice for the Snow Ball Derby.

  23. Lisa Watson on November 30th, 2015 3:50 am

    Speeds like that should bring attempted murder charges, reckless endangerment, willful endangerment, something.