Blog Post

Teenager Killed in Speed Racing Accident


March 17, 2008
Topic: Auto Accidents

The thrill for speed took another innocent life over the weekend when a 14-year-old boy died as a result of street racing. It seems that the car in which the victim, Phoenix Nguyen, was traveling was involved in a race with another driver before the crash.

18-year-old Ty Van Nguyen was driving a black Acura Integra when he ran the stop sign and crashed into another car, a white Cadillac Escalade driven by Devin Miller, who was driving his family to a birthday party. None in Miller's car were seriously injured.

According to Miller, he noticed that the Acura was involved in a race of some kind with another car, which seems to have disappeared after the crash. 14-year-old Phoenix Ngueyn was taken to hospital where he died. Other passengers in the Acura included two 17-year-old girls and an 18-year-old man who were taken to hospital for their injuries. The driver, Ty Van Nguyen, seems not to have suffered severe injuries.

According to residents in the neighborhood, drag racing is a common occurrence in that area. Residents are used to hearing the telltale screech of tires on asphalt in the middle of the might. The street where the accident occurred is wide open and has very little traffic, which makes it very popular among teen racers. Regardless of the minimal traffic, there is an elementary school nearby and many children use the streets, residents say. When the police are called, the drivers disappear before they arrive, and no real progress has been made on stemming the problem caused by these drivers.

Letting youngsters get away without suffering the consequences of their actions seems to be becoming a regular occurrence in these parts. Let's hope the same doesn't happen with Ty Van Nguyen. The young man doesn't deserve to walk away with no charges. If his friends or family have any interest in his well being, they'll realize that this sort of reckless behavior will occur again. There are too many reckless young boys and girls behind wheels, putting other people's lives in danger with such antics, and the more sympathy we show, the more we encourage such behavior that endangers the lives of other law-abiding citizens. The Millers were lucky that they all escaped without serious harm - there was huge potential for more tragedies in this crash. The Miller's car had four children strapped into the back seat. Other families on the road aren't so lucky.

Just last August, a young boy was killed while on his bicycle and the community came together in a showing of sympathy for the young driver who caused the crash. As it turned out later, not only was the driver texting on his cell phone, but he was allegedly conducting a drug deal, and, more than likely, was intoxicated when he rammed his car into the young boy.

When the facts came out, he didn't look like an innocent boy who made a mistake. We should not make that same mistake with Ty Van Nguyen.

If you have been injured or a loved-one has been killed in a car accident, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.