| An El Monte man has been sentenced to one | | | | and four counts of felony reckless driving causing |
| year in county jail and five years on probation for | | | | injury, as well as misdemeanor street racing. A |
| his role in a street racing related car accident last | | | | judge has now sentenced him to one year in |
| year in which his friend was killed and the | | | | county jail. He will also be required to pay |
| passenger in the other car seriously injured. | | | | restitution to the Saavedra family, a $100 court |
| In October 2007, 19-year-old Fitzgerald Paragas | | | | security fee and a $20 restitution fee. He is also |
| had been racing with his friend 18-year-old Brian | | | | prohibited from driving while under probation, and |
| Ramirez. Just prior to that, they had been | | | | will have to participate in a safe driving program. |
| watching the street racing movie “The Fast | | | | He will also be required to educate high school |
| and the Furious” and decided to have a race | | | | students on safe driving as part of his sentence. |
| of their own. As the two continued to race on | | | | The judge admitted that Paragas’ lack of a |
| the streets, Brian lost control of his car. His | | | | prior criminal record and letters written to the |
| Mitsubishi careened across the median and into | | | | judge by the young man’s school teachers |
| incoming traffic. A Volkswagen Jetta carrying the | | | | had led to what can only be called a light |
| Saavedra family was coming in the opposite | | | | sentence. |
| direction, and the Mitsubishi crashed into it. | | | | The district attorney asked the judge to impose |
| Ramirez was killed instantly, while the Saavedra | | | | a four-year prison sentence to be suspended. If |
| family suffered serious injuries. At the time of the | | | | Paragas violates the terms of his probation, he |
| crash, Ramirez’s vehicle was apparently going | | | | would have to serve time in jail. Paragas was |
| at 90 mph. | | | | facing a maximum of eight years and eight |
| After the crash, Paragas tried to mislead police | | | | months, and the prosecution had asked for a |
| into believing that he had not been part of the car | | | | sentence of four years to six years. |
| accident at all. His initial claim was that he was at | | | | Street racing can be either spontaneous races, |
| home at the time of the car crash, and had | | | | like the one that seems to have taken place here, |
| received a call from Ramirez who said he would | | | | or coordinated races that are planned ahead of |
| be coming over. After waiting for an hour, when | | | | time. In either case, they can cause serious |
| there was still no sign of his friend, Paragas told | | | | injuries and fatalities. With the high speeds that |
| police he had driven off to take a look. It was | | | | are the norm during such races, many |
| then that he came upon the car crash site where | | | | motorists’ lives are endangered simply |
| his friend was killed. Later however, Paragas | | | | because they were unlucky enough to be around |
| broke down, and admitted that he had been | | | | the scene when a race was on. Considering the |
| racing too. | | | | gravity of Paragas’ action and the death that |
| He was charged with one felony count of murder | | | | it resulted in, a stiffer sentence would have given |
| with the special allegation of causing great bodily | | | | out a stronger message to would-be street |
| injury, one felony count of vehicular manslaughter | | | | racers. |