Randy Twizzle Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 From the LA Times A red Ferrari Enzo — one of only 400 ever made and worth more than $1 million — broke apart Tuesday when it crested a hill on Pacific Coast Highway going 120 mph and slammed into a power pole. The driver jumped out of the wreckage and ran into the canyon above, evading a three-hour search by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helicopter and a mountain search-and-rescue team. The crash did not result in serious injuries. But it sent shockwaves through both the tabloid and exotic car worlds as one group wondered if the driver was a celebrity and the other mourned the loss of a hand-built car revered by many as a work of art. The car was certain to be owned by someone rich, if not famous. Actor Nicolas Cage owns one. And Malibu local Britney Spears has been chased in a Ferrari by the paparazzi. But by day's end the tabloids were disappointed to learn that the demolished car had been owned by a Swedish millionaire without a Screen Actors Guild card. Sheriff's investigators identified him as 44-year-old Stefan Eriksson, a Bel-Air resident. Officials are trying to determine whether he is the noted Swedish game designer whose firm, perhaps not surprisingly, was involved with car-racing themed video games. Authorities said Eriksson said he was a passenger in the Ferrari, which he said was being driven by a German acquaintance he knew only as Dietrich. One witness told deputies that the Ferrari appeared to be racing with a Mercedes-Benz SLR northbound along the coastal highway when the accident occurred about 6 a.m. west of Decker Road. "It took out the pole, and part of the car went another 600 feet," Sheriff's Sgt. Philip Brooks said. "There were 1,200 feet of debris out there." Eriksson told authorities that "Dietrich" ran up a hill toward the canyon road and disappeared. Brooks said detectives are far from convinced they have the whole story. Eriksson "had a .09 blood-alcohol level, but if he's a passenger, that's OK," Brooks said. "But he had a bloody lip, and only the air bag on the driver's side had blood on it. The passenger-side air bag did not. My Scooby-Doo detectives are looking closely into that. "Maybe the 'driver' had a friend who picked him up. Maybe he thumbed a ride," the sergeant added. "Maybe he was a ghost." The crash left Ferrari fans anguished. "I'm not surprised the driver ran away. He'd have been strangled by the owner," said Tex Otto, a Santa Monica graphic artist who edits two magazines for Ferrari owners. "This will have a big impact on the local Ferrari community. This was not a car. It was a rolling art form." Ferrari owner Chris Banning, a Beverly Hills writer who is finishing a book called the "Mulholland Experience" that will touch on the cult of sports car racing on that mountain roadway, characterized the Enzo's destruction as "a tremendous loss" to the automotive world. "He destroyed one of the finest cars on Earth, maybe the finest. It's like taking a Van Gogh painting and burning it," said Banning, who is a leader of the Ferrari Owners Club. Gil Lucero, a Mountain View telecommunications company executive who is president and Pacific region chairman of the Ferrari Club of America, said only 399 Enzos were at first scheduled to be assembled at the factory between 2002 and 2004, each priced at $670,000. But a final car was built and donated to Pope John Paul II and later sold to raise $1,275,000 million for charity, Lucero said. "It's a shame this one is gone forever. When one of these is lost, it reverberates through the whole exotic car world," Lucero said. Ferrari fan Wally Clark, a Villa Park insurance broker who owns two Ferraris — neither of which is an Enzo — said used Enzos fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million. "I think the price went up another $100,000 with today's crash," he said. The Enzo model "is a very serious car" whose 660-horsepower V-12 engine can accelerate from zero to 65 mph in about four seconds, Clark said. It can exceed 217 mph. "They'll burn rubber in every gear. You need to know what you're doing if you drive them on the street. You can't be blowing past people at 180 miles per hour on the freeway. You'll cause chain-reaction crashes behind you. I don't know who the yahoos were in it. It's a damn good thing they weren't killed." Die-hard Ferrari aficionados who viewed TV news footage of the crash said the Enzo's driver-safety system performed exactly as it was designed to. "The car has a carbon-fiber tub seating area. The driver's compartment is made of this very tough, lightweight carbon composite and has tremendous seats that really hold you in place," said Times automobile critic Dan Neil, who drove an Enzo at Ferrari's plant in Italy. "They're very unforgiving cars. High performance but merciless," Neil said. Websites devoted to exotic cars followed crash developments breathlessly through the day, even posting digital photos and eyewitness accounts sent in by people who passed by the wreck. Brooks said that no arrests had been made and that little was known about Eriksson. Detectives were also trying to determine whether he was the Stefan Eriksson who in the past has raced Ferraris on European tracks. The Sheriff's Department impounded the shredded remains of the Ferrari as evidence. But Brooks said he retrieved one souvenir from the side of the road. "I have the mirror from the car," he joked. "It's shattered, but I think it's worth $5,000. I'm going to hang onto it." Detectives are also trying to find the driver of the Mercedes that they think was dueling the Enzo. If their race theory is correct, it won't be the first time a Mercedes beat a Ferrari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 I wish i could find a pic of what they showed on the local news last night. It's worth a thousand words you know. And almost, in this case, as many giggles. A high speed race on PCH? It's a wonder that no one was killed. Now there's a Ferrari commecial for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 (edited) I saw some better images on Robin & Co this a.m., but here are a few: Edited February 22, 2006 by Aggie87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron S Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 PHEW!!! For a minute there, I thought maybe something had happened to my old '84 Tercel: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 but why blame her? sure escapes me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Thank God...it was only a new car, and surely not the world's finest car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Sounds well-deserved. I have no sympathy for people who race on public thoroughfares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Sounds well-deserved. I have no sympathy for people who race on public thoroughfares. How about when you raced around the Central Park thoroughfares wildly pointing your lens at every strip of Christo's bright orange tissu coloré to the point of distraction? You never even saw that baby carriage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 The baby is ok and they've renamed it Christo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Sounds well-deserved. I have no sympathy for people who race on public thoroughfares. What sounds well-deserved? Noone has been implicated yet, I think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Well deserved, as in the guy deserved to lose his car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Brooks said that no arrests had been made and that little was known about Eriksson. Detectives were also trying to determine whether he was the Stefan Eriksson who in the past has raced Ferraris on European tracks. So let me get this straight. The guy is going 120mph, crashes his car, endangers the lives of who knows how many people, is drunk as a skunk, and claims that a guy named "Dietrich" was driving and he ran away. And the cops didn't arrest this guy?! Gee, let me try that one the next time I'm going 120mph in my minivan and get pulled over. WTF?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron S Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Brooks said that no arrests had been made and that little was known about Eriksson. Detectives were also trying to determine whether he was the Stefan Eriksson who in the past has raced Ferraris on European tracks. So let me get this straight. The guy is going 120mph, crashes his car, endangers the lives of who knows how many people, is drunk as a skunk, and claims that a guy named "Dietrich" was driving and he ran away. And the cops didn't arrest this guy?! Gee, let me try that one the next time I'm going 120mph in my minivan and get pulled over. WTF?! But Jim, you don't KNOW anyone named Dietrich. Better say it was Randy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 And you can do 120 in your minivan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Well deserved, as in the guy deserved to lose his car. So the investigation is over?! What are the results? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 I hope the "investigation" isn't over, but if the guy was racing, he deserves to lose the car and get his ass thrown in jail. You seem to be defending the alleged perps--why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 I hope the "investigation" isn't over, but if the guy was racing, he deserves to lose the car and get his ass thrown in jail. You seem to be defending the alleged perps--why? Why is 65mph legal and 105mph isn't?! I don't know of any special tests done to determine that a human being behind the wheel of a car can safely operate it at 65mph and not 75mph? Or 175mph? Bottom-line - have you ever driven a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB? If not ... you won't understand.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 I don't even know how to answer that post Dmitry. Are you trying to start an argument, or do you really believe that 175 mph is as safe a speed as 65 mph? Remember, we are not talking about a straight strip of road where there is no other traffic, no pedestrians--no trees, etc. Sounds to me like you thing speed limits ought to be abolished--I think statistics prove their value. I will no longer take the bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 I don't even know how to answer that post Dmitry. Are you trying to start an argument, or do you really believe that 175 mph is as safe a speed as 65 mph? Remember, we are not talking about a straight strip of road where there is no other traffic, no pedestrians--no trees, etc. Sounds to me like you thing speed limits ought to be abolished--I think statistics prove their value. I will no longer take the bait. I thought the arguement was already started... PCH IS a staright strip of road and I doubt any pedestrians cross it. heck, I wish I could go 175 mph on it. I did do 240 kmh this past summer on the way from Paris to Amsterdam. It was FUN. The driver of the Enzo was probably drunk like a Cheney, that's another story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Well deserved, as in the guy deserved to lose his car. He deserves to lose his driver's license. Permanently. ANYONE who drives the Pacific Coast highway at 120mph is a dangerous maniac who whould be kept in restraints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Ferrari Owner Had Other 'Crash' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Hr. Eriksson ounds like an all-around loser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTMX Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 They're still looking for Dietrich. And to find him, they've hired - well - Dietrich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 I don't even know how to answer that post Dmitry. Are you trying to start an argument, or do you really believe that 175 mph is as safe a speed as 65 mph? Remember, we are not talking about a straight strip of road where there is no other traffic, no pedestrians--no trees, etc. Sounds to me like you thing speed limits ought to be abolished--I think statistics prove their value. I will no longer take the bait. I thought the arguement was already started... PCH IS a staright strip of road and I doubt any pedestrians cross it. heck, I wish I could go 175 mph on it. I did do 240 kmh this past summer on the way from Paris to Amsterdam. It was FUN. The driver of the Enzo was probably drunk like a Cheney, that's another story. PCH has a curve along much of its length. There are houses all along one side, with cars pulling out. Pedestrians do cross it, because people park on the land side of the road and cross it to get to the beach. There are also other businesses on the land side of the road. It's also a HIGHWAY, so there are other cars on it at all times of day & night. And early in the morning, when he/they were racing, visibility would be low due to light and probably marine fog. And 175 mph doesn't allow any room for error. And it's faster than 240 kmh. 175 mph is unquestionably less safe than 65 mph. And if they were racing at any speed, even 35 mph, they should be arrested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 And 175 mph doesn't allow any room for error. And it's faster than 240 kmh. No s@#t, Einstein. 240 kmh = 149 mph. What happened to the spirit of adventure here. Are we just a bunch of old farts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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