CJR2

Troopers arrest nine for racing on I-71

Saturday, July 12, 2008 5:37 PM
By Randy Ludlow

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

WBNS-10TV
This Corvette was one of nine vehicles impounded after state troopers arrested drivers for racing on I-71 in Delaware County.



After midnight, the pack of drivers would stop their cars on I-71 near Polaris, line up three abreast and then race north at more than 100 mph.

With at least two prior illicit races going off without a hitch — or tickets— the drivers returned early today.

This time, the State Highway Patrol was lying in wait north of the Franklin-Delaware county line.

With a plane overhead and the area flooded with cruisers, officers arrested nine drivers. They also impounded their cars, ranging from late-model Corvettes to a tricked-out 1985 Honda Civic.

The drivers of about a dozen other cars eluded capture, but troopers are working to identify them, said Sgt. D.J. Smith of the Delaware post of the State Highway Patrol.

Most of the racers got off I-71 at the Rt. 36/Rt. 37 exit. The largest group headed east to Sunbury and then south on Rt. 3, where troopers blocked the road near Galena.

Troopers arrested eight drivers and Westerville police nabbed a ninth farther south on Rt. 3.

The drivers were charged with street racing, a first-degree misdemeanor, and booked at the Delaware County Jail.

If convicted, the drivers face up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine and the loss of their licenses for 30 days to three years.

Troopers previously responded twice to reports of the five-mile stretch of I-71 serving as a drag strip, but never located the racers, Smith said.

Thanks to a tip that the drivers gathered at the Sonic restaurant on Polaris Parkway, a State Highway Patrol pilot monitored the area from above early today.

At 12:43 a.m., the cars left and stopped to line up on I-71 for more than one minute, while three lanes of traffic cleared out in front of them and stacked up behind, Smith said. The race to catch the racers then was on.

“The act of stopping traffic on I-71 is incredibly dangerous,” Smith said. “People aren't prepared to come to a complete stop on the interstate … and the median is small. If someone blew a tire or lost control …”

Troopers arrested brothers Anthony Grey, 23, and Eric Grey, 24, of Gahanna; Jason Wyne, 21, of Carroll; Kyle Sargent, 24, of Reynoldsburg; Christopher Kolb, 38, of Hilliard; Steven Lenegar, 20, of Westerville; Andrew Meade, 25, of Reynoldsburg; and Sean Smith, 20, of Columbus.

The name of the driver arrested by Westerville police was not available.

The group speed contests apparently were arranged via an Internet message board devoted to amateur racing, Smith said. The Web site says it “does not condone illegal street racing.”

The racing was unrelated to the Goodguys car show at the state fairgrounds, troopers said.

rludlow@dispatch.com


Take it to the track!!

VetteFish

that just means their cars weren't fast enough to get away. I bet the guys who did get away were in big power C5Z's

Lake MurocVette

Stopping traffic on an Interstate for a race is the most arrogant imbecilic act I have heard of recently.
Morons like that give Corvette drivers a bad image.
Will the cops be selling the Vettes at auction?
The guilty should be forced to drive Ford Explorers with a four Banger automatic.

Millenium Z06

What make you think they were all vettes? The vette probably belonged to the 38 yo who should have known better; the rest were punk 21-24 yo's. Block a highway to race f____ idiots, that gives anyone a bad name.

cobrakraiger

I'm 24 and far from a punk kid with a corvette, so don't start that ****.

David426

damn punk kids and punk kids who don.t think they are punk kids.. I was a punk kid once but did not realize it till i got older..

cobrakraiger

LOL I'll give you this most people my age aren't the most mature, but I have had only one ticket since I have been driving and that was when I was 17. If you guys are gonna stereotype then you old farts need to learn to keep it above 50 on the freeway

JC.LUCIFA

1 ticket since 17, 24 with a vette.. maybe you really aren't a punk kid. You're a pu$$y.

I kid, I kid.

CJR2

One ticket? That's great, keep it that way

Millenium Z06

Ages range from 21 to 38 and I'm not 50, I'm 37 so yes punk kids. If you are one of the ones that would do this and or think this was ok, then the shoe fit's. If not then I, we are not talking to you. I do agree with the or get the hell over.

cobrakraiger

No I don't go out and stop in the middle of the interstate and line'em up. I 'll kep mine at the track thanks.

cobrakraiger

LOL nah I'm not a pu$$y, but I have noticed the vette is great at pulling some.

briann510

So whats with "Corvette drivers" having to uphold some sort of holy image the community looks up to and respects? The last thing I care about about is upholding some mystique respectable Corvette owner image that "I'm" suppose to have..

Before I owned a corvette I sure didn't look at any Corvette owner/driver as being anything special but I guess nowdays most owners are on some ego trip thinking they are "special" cause they have a Vette and think other non Vette owners look at them like they are gods....Yea ok...

I drive my Z06 like I stole it everywhere I go pretty much and if I'm not the perfect respectable owner image the community is expecting to see then thats just too bad. Supercharger goes on this week so my image is gonna get even more bad...

AlwaysInBoost

glad to hear these punks got busted, I hope they get the max sentence and learn their lesson!

I have no tolerance for street racing. take it to the track or stick to playing video games.

TakeAwayTheFear

LOL that made me laugh pretty hard!!!

I'll be 24 at the end of the month, and i havnt got any tickets.

Millenium Z06

You are gd right!!

63Corvette

Excuse me but "Us old farts" race on race tracks! You should try it, or do you actually realize that you don't have a clue how to drive your powerful car.

Labold

I don't have a problem with street racing (in fact it's alot of fun) but stopping traffic on the interstate is stupid. There is a time and place for everything.

CJR2

Damn, your getting the tread locked.

427CPE

Speed Racer's Mom Getting ready to spank him?