OFF YOUR SOAPBOX REACTING TO DEATH, POLICE CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL RACING SET.Byline: Sue Doyle Staff Writer While family and friends grieve for the young Sun Valley man who died after his homemade soapbox racer slammed into a parked SUV, police said Monday that they were cracking down on the illegal hobby that's built a strong following in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . Matthew Joseph Garcia Dr Joseph Garcia is a Gibraltarian politician, and the current leader of the Gibraltar Liberal Party. This party is part of the official opposition in the current government of Gibraltar, controlling two of the fifteen seats in the Gibraltar Parliament. , 22, was killed Sunday morning Sunday Morning may refer to:
Police said his death was the first soapbox-racing fatality they're aware of in the Valley. "We're asking them to stop," said Capt. Ron Marbrey of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Police Department's Valley Traffic Division. "Before other people get hurt, we are asking them to discontinue this activity." Marbrey said no citations have been issued as Los Angeles City Attorney The Los Angeles City Attorney is an elected official whose job is to prosecute all of the misdemeanor criminal offenses within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Rocky Delgadillo Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo (born July 15 1960) is the current City Attorney of Los Angeles, California. Career
To hammer home the dangerous, unsupervised nature of the pastime, officials said Garcia's helmet flew off during impact -- a sign he was wearing it improperly. Police said they were contacting the San Fernando Valley Illegal Soap Box Federation, which sponsors the races across the Valley, to stop the contests. San Fernando Valley Illegal Soap Box Federation members refused to comment to the Daily News about Garcia's death. Garcia's family and friends could not be reached for comment, but they left condolences on a message board at the group's Web site. "He loved soapbox racing and running with us, he knew the risks and always accepted responsibility for his actions," wrote someone who identified himself as Jesse Garcia, Garcia's brother. "Matt was a guy that everyone liked or loved." One writer reached out to help other racers through their mourning. "Dying is the one thing we all have to do but none of us wants to," wrote Big Ed. "We lost a comrade, dealing with it is never easy so help one another out." The Illegal Soap Box Federation draws racers from as far away as Arizona to compete in the Sunday races, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a feature article on the group in Hot Rod magazine Hot Rod magazine is a popular American monthly magazine devoted the the hobby of hot rodding, or modifying automobiles for performance and appearance. History Hot Rod magazine is the oldest magazine devoted to hot rodding having been published since 1948. Robert E. . The go-karts are built at home and do not meet California Department of Motor Vehicles In the United States of America, Department of Motor Vehicles (or DMV) is a commonly used name of the government agency of a U.S. state which administers the registration of automobiles (e.g., by issuing license plates), and/or the licensing of drivers (e.g. code so they are not legally permitted on public streets, said LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. Detective William Bustos. Without engines, the steel cars rely on gravity for acceleration. Racers on Sunday reached 35mph as they rolled down Reseda Boulevard. Garcia hit the rear of the SUV at Winford Drive. Typically meeting at the break of dawn, the racers sometimes opt for residential neighborhoods, where homeowners walking dogs and picking up newspapers give a puzzled look at the strange street assembly. After the race, the group -- mainly men in their 40s and 50s -- are quickly gone. "Part of the thrill is that they know it's illegal," said Bustos. "Nobody oversees them. They are just on their own." Still, some soapbox racing aficionados have found legal ways to enjoy the sport. In Palmdale, the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Soap Box Racing Association participates year-round in authorized races through the All-American Soap Box Derby The Soap Box Derby also called coaster car race[1] is a youth soapbox car racing program which has been run nationally since 1934. World Championship finals are held each July at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio. . Offering scholarships, the Ohio-based program was created for young people in 1934 and has never had a serious accident, said Danny Brooks, president of the Antelope Valley group. Although children build the cars they drive in these races, the vehicles must pass several safety inspections. Parents and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies mentor the kids during the car construction. Using city streets for races in California, the group also gets permits from cities involved. The streets are shut down for the matches. Brooks said racers wear helmets and courses even have hay bales to cushion collisions. "Bumps, bruises and cuts -- little things like that do occasionally happen," said Brooks. "But it is a sport that is carefully watched." sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com 818-713-3746 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The San Fernando Valley Illegal Soap Box Federation holds a monthly race down Victory Boulevard in West Hills west of Valley Circle Boulevard early in the morning on May 13, 2007. This past Sunday, a racer was killed in a Reseda Boulevard event. For more photos and video, go to dailynews.com. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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