Driver Injured in Alleged Street Race Collision on State Street

A gray sedan collided into a wall near upper State Street in an alleged street racing event (Photo by Geo Duarte)

High speed vehicles racing on State and Anacapa Streets. This alleged “Street race” ended with crash into a wall right over a residential sidewalk in a North State Street neighborhood. Thankfully there were no pedestrians or pets on the sidewalk.

According to another driver who witnessed the speeders near CVS on Upper State, they “were going super fast” at Calle Laureles as they passed her.

One driver was in a red truck and the other in a gray sedan traveling at almost 60 mph, according to the witness. Again, this was in front of CVS on State Street, which going southbound does have a sharp right turn.

The witness lost sight of them near Constance Ave. on upper State although she then came up on the crash scene in the 2400 block of Anacapa St.

The gray sedan had struck a wall, red truck was not on the scene.

The driver of the sedan, reportedly a late-aged teen driver, was pinned in the vehicle and could not release his legs from underneath the dashboard, according to a witness who tried to help him out of the sedan.

The door was jammed as the whole frame of the car appeared bent. Even the back door was affected in such a way as to be disabled.

The Santa Barbara Fire Department arrived on the scene and used the “Jaws of Life” and other large tools to remove the door, then cut through the hood in an attempt to control power and fluid leakages.

AMR ambulance arrived soon after and transported the injured driver off to Cottage Hospital once freed through the rear-right door.

Many details in the story are unknown, yet the community’s safety appears to have definitely been in question in this high speed incident.

It is unknown how many passengers were originally in the vehicle, if any. It is also unknown whether the two racing vehicles were ever in contact, and how the gray sedan spun out, or veered on to the sidewalk.

The red truck left the scene, prompting a possible hit-and-run investigation. How and why this aggressive confrontation peaked between the two cars will require more witness statements and investigation.

Please come forward If you have more information or facts to add to this story. Call SBPD with more information at (805) 882-8900

Miraculously this teen driver was very lucky, this time, by missing two trees and scraping along hedges and decorative low lying tiling. Then, after being slowed by the friction of the tiles and walls. The car was suddenly released by a gap in a driveway, then the inertia continued, look at the result in the photos. (Bending of the frame)

Thus, bending the entire car by hitting the next neighbors wall, this,  a bit sideways. This last slip in his speeding set of hard collisions finally came to a stop.

Somehow blessed, the driver was able to communicate to emergency response resources. Also, being able to reach out to immediate family and friends, who soon arrived for immediate support.

The very fortunate physics of this impact likely very much saved the driver’s Life. As this obviously very high speed collision was mitigated by chance and higher a power.

A collision such as this could have ended by hitting one of the two trees, or possibly other bystanders and / or other negative scenarios.

Having come completely to a sudden and absolute stop would have not been good, even with updated airbags.

Leave space between vehicles in front of you, and avoid road rage or the furious five racing at all costs.

Some supposition has been made here in this article, and yes a very tiny touch of opinion, yet, keep in mind at high speeds as obviously visible in photo evidence, such as this. It is surprising we did not end with a disintegrated chasis / crushed compartment / or ejection or failure of a passenger cage.

Geo Duarte

Written by Geo Duarte

Geo Duarte is a volunteer scanner reporter for edhat.com. More reports can be viewed on Geo's Instagram page @Xtek_Overload

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49 Comments

  1. Thanks as always, Geo! Don’t mind the whiners.

    Glad no one appears to have been seriously injured or worse. These types of drivers should be locked up for a long time as this level of recklessness and negligence puts peoples’ lives at serious risk.

  2. Geo, I enjoy reading your thorough, fact-filled and in-depth reporting. This could have easily ended with a loss of life. Please continue keeping us informed. Great work. Santa Barbara needs more reporters like you!

  3. Geo – I’ve been under the impression I was your harshest critic (I see now I’ve been proven wrong!), mainly due to a directional thing (N/S/E/W…). Thanks for this post.
    If I were to add my 2 cents; the only thing missing would be the “Time stamp” (ie. estimated/approximate time of occurrence). These give me a chance to practice my location queries; with this one resulting in my expectation that what’s left of the “gray sedan” is in the driveway of 2424 Anacapa Street…

    I’d like to note as well that I’ve managed to make it most of the way thru the “2024 Indy Best of SB” poll making sure to select “Edhat” in the appropriate selection:
    https://bestof.independent.com/
    couldn’t locate Geo’s entry? maybe you’d have to do a write-in?

    • I know, I was going to look at the photographic timestamps as I realized this flaw at near five in the morning. Adrenaline kept me up, and the first photo was taken about 7 min–after the call went out over the scanner.

      It’s time was August, 4th 2024 at 5;21 PM. Thanks for your supportive input, as developing stories can be very confusing and wearing on the Mind and Soul of all who are involved, even those who read and comment. @ Biciclist,Thank You, for the added comment / positive comment..

  4. Oh, how precious: The suspect was “able to reach out to immediate family and friends, who soon arrived for immediate support.” “Mommy, Mommy, the bad firefighter is cutting your car into pieces.” I doubt this was the first “rodeo” regarding high speed issues for this clown. It will be interesting to learn his driving record. Family better rush out and get him a new car, I’m confident they don’t want him walking of having to take a bus.

      • True, yet many would believe a great power intervend. He missed two trees, this could have ended horribly worse than it already appears. Driving is a privilege not a right, those who preform this type of driving should be excused permanently from doing so, Although, even myself did over a hundred miles per hour when I was around this young mans age, from Venture to Carp. Not proud, just reflecting on my own bad decisions as a youth. It is quite a miracle I get to share this personal thought with everyone, God is great.

    • If you have previous cases of reckless-driving, can you send us the a link? Appreciated, the strong point made is valid. Everyone would like the addition, since I’m a volunteer, I have limited time and resources. I think many young men and women watched “Fast..Furious” films too many times—yes many innocents could have been unfairly involved. This behaviour can not be accepted as normal, as they are ultimately-pointless-deadly acts with vehicles on public streets.

  5. What nonsense it is to say that a “higher power” was involved in this incident.
    Unless of course you are speaking of horsepower. What kind of beneficent god would allow the personal injury, destruction of the property of innocent folks and the escape of the third party? If there is a god out there it is obvious that it takes no interest in our day to day scrapping by.

    • RHS – pretty sure GEO meant that in the sense that this could have been MUCH worse. Believe it or not, not everyone’s version/beliefs/ideas of a God or higher power hold him/her/it as some kind of miracle worker of sorts that stops all death and destruction. Hardly an argument for his/her/its absence.

      • It’s my Journalistic attempt, thank “God” for Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Thought, some even believe in Freedom of Ideal label Religion, some Folks respect those around them cherish the passed down Knowledge in ALL BOOKS.

        Often, more educated people would avoid using words quoting Theology, also known as Religions.

        At another extreme, I’m cool with anyone saying ‘This Foo got real Effin Lucky this time!!! Too much NOT-FUN-FUN-FUN, in this story.

        It’s a narrative I wrote quickly, and, provided visual entries to back up my theories in less than six unpaid, sleepless hours, truing to write sensible paragraphs on 6 Inch screen surface. Also, please don’t mind me if those very close to me, appreciate my humble linguistic nuances. Lucky dude, that driver, we all deserve 9 chances like cats, driving privileges may NOT APPLY HERE. Thank You for taking the time to make some valid observations. T.Y.

    • BASIC – ” “Blessed” and “higher power” mean someone got saved by god. I don’t think so. It’s a fallacy to think that.”

      1) did no one get saved here? No fatalities, so definitely judging by the photo of this crash, someone was “saved” (by whoever or whatever) from death.

      2) It’s not a logical fallacy to believe in God or to say something that makes absolute sense.

    • RHS – Looking at the car I’d say there was a “higher power,” I often refer to as God, looking over this boy as he did not suffer any major injuries and survived his ignorant behavior. Property can be repaired or replaced. I don’t have the answers to all your questions but it’s nice to know we have a choice in believing whether or not there is a God.

      • We really don’t know what happened here. Stop the instant-judging.

        I once had a shotgun pointed at my car when I was 16 and my cousin was in the passengers seat, while some female acquaintances in he back seat threw signs and flipped-off some known trouble-heads in a so called gang. We never rolled without protective options there after, mainly keep drama queens out the vehicle.

        The instigator yelled “they have a shotgun, go1 go! go!” I ran the red and headed East, made a right after running Carrillo at Chapala, then a lright, then a left, then a R. and ran many signs and lights till we lost them on the e. Side..

        Who knows what really happened to this kiddo here, glad dude is healing. And, is blessed with loving parents. stop judging so quickly, some of Ya’ll need to have strong opinions, dang!!

        In my own true life story we made it from the Carrillo 101 offramp to Milpas in about two minutes, on surface streets.fast!!! Apparently, my “skill and ‘being Blessed” made it so nothing happed. Except our escape.

        IDK, glad AF.

    • True, yet many would believe a great power intervend. He missed two trees, this could have ended horribly worse than it already appears. Driving is a privilege not a right, those who preform this type of driving should be excused permanently from doing so, Although, even myself did over a hundred miles per hour when I was around this young mans age, from Venture to Carp. Not proud, just reflecting on my own bad decisions as a youth. It is quite a miracle I get to share this personal thought with everyone, God is great, or he got lucky, no need to argue, look at the photo.

  6. Why is the bumper missing? Did the red truck contact the sedans rear bumper? Maybe he was trying to get away from a very aggressive situation, can we THINK about this, or should I stop analyzing photos???? I have many more photos, is there red paint on that bumper, it’s called evidence, DO NOT DISCARD EVIDENCE!

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