An 18-year-old New York man has discovered what happens when a burnout goes wrong. The driver attempted to perform one in a gas station parking lot, but he lost control of the car, crashing into a pump, toppling it over, and starting a fire before fleeing the scene. The crash happened Sunday at around 5 a.m.
The gas station’s security camera caught the entire incident. The driver was behind the wheel of a Mercury Grand Marquis in front of the station’s entrance when he started the burnout. The video shows smoke billowing out from the rear tires before the driver takes off, turning toward the gas pump.
The car had little chance of avoiding the pumps. The Mercury’s back end slid around, perfectly lining up the car’s front end between the awning supports. The car wasn’t going that fast when it struck the pump, knocking it over. The video shows fire erupting from the ground as the driver puts the car in reverse and flees the scene.
Police arrived at the business to discover a small fire. A witness provided a partial license plate number to the Gates Police Department, and the video allowed the officers to identify the car’s make and model. This info helped lead officers to the suspect, discovering a Mercury with front-end damage. The suspect admitted to the accident, confirming to police that he was attempting to perform a burnout in the parking lot. The police did not report that the driver had received any injuries in the crash.
The man was arrested and charged with criminal mischief 4th degree and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. Police issued appearance tickets for the man to appear in court at a later date. The suspect could receive up to a year in jail plus paying fines and restitution.
Burnouts and other vehicular antics should stay relegated to the race track and other designated areas. This accident could have been much worse if the driver had not been able to remove the car from the fire.
