Big Accident On Set of Street Outlaws, Both Drivers In Hospital

"tromoly" (tromoly) 11/15/2015 at 18:39 • Filed to: Street Outlaws, Street Racing, Spirited Driving

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(photo from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Last night, an accident on the “set” of Street Outlaws resulted in Justin “Big Chief” Shearer spending the night in the hospital. The car he was driving, a 1972 Pontiac Le Mans, is seen in the leading image. Fortunately he is alive, though !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! he has bruised lungs, is on oxygen, crushed the L2 and L3 vertebrae in his back, broke a collarbone, and in general is beat up.

The accident occured while racing a Mustang driven by Brian “Chucky” Davis. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! indicate that the Mustang got loose and hit the quarter panel of the Pontiac, resulting in the accident seen above and below.

(first two photos from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , third photo from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Both Justin and Brian are in local hospitals, with Justin indicating he may be released this evening. As for the cars, neither sides have indicated if they are salvageable.

The production company behind Street Outlaws brings in local law enforcement, fire departments, tow truck companies, and ambulance services to create a controlled environment for all on-camera racing. The roads are closed to the public and first responders are placed at several locations on the “set”, all in hopes they are never used but if needed are there. There is no doubt these precautions helped prevent the situation from being much worse.

Best wishes go out to Justin Shearer and Brian Davis for speedy recoveries.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > tromoly 11/15/2015 at 18:42

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Fuck discovery. That's why they made the NHRA for a reason. To get people off the streets. Street outlaws does everything but to teach people not to drag on the streets.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > tromoly 11/15/2015 at 18:47

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I’m glad everyone is alive, but Street Outlaws is a horrible show.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > tromoly 11/15/2015 at 19:02

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Huh. You know, at least half of that crash probably could have been avoided if they invented some sort of “closed circuit”, specific to this type of racing. One with a wall in-between the two racing cars, so that if one crashes it won’t hit the other. They could call it a “drag strip”. Maybe they could even form some sort of nationwide sanctioning body for racing cars like that, a national hot rod association, if you will. Ah well, it’ll probably never happen.

Dusty Ventures > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 11/15/2015 at 19:03

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To me there’s racing on the streets and then there’s racing on the streets. Rallying, for example (yep, I went there), is done on regular roads. I believe there was another drag racing show (or at least a drag racing organization) which used roads as well (Edit, found it: Duluth Street Drags ). But both rally and this street drag series make it abundantly clear that they go through a thorough permitting process to work with the community and the authorities. That, to me, is where Street Outlaws fails. They’re trying to look like this rogue, underground group of, well, outlaws, flaunting the authorities in the name of speed. That’s what’s promoting dangerous illegal street racing and it’s what I have a problem with.

Hell, if they just went and changed the format to show they’re doing this racing legally, a bit about finding the right road, the process of working with the town to get permission to use it (and how, when a community says no, they look for a new area in a place that will say yes, not think “fuck it, we’re using the road anyway”), the safety setup, the planning, you know, basically all the things they’re ACTUALLY DOING in the process of making the show, it would make things a million times better in my book.

crowmolly > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 11/15/2015 at 19:08

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Drag strips have no such wall. This accident could have happened at a track too. This is John Force and Kenny Bernstein.

Berang > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 11/15/2015 at 19:09

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This event may be educational for their viewers.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > crowmolly 11/15/2015 at 19:10

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Hey, it’s my invention, I say it can have a wall!

JGrabowMSt > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 11/15/2015 at 19:12

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I understand where you’re coming from, but from an alternate angle, this show is so staged that calling it “street racing” is just too far....

It’s a ridiculous show and no reflection on reality, and yes, it does give a bad impression to younger people by shining a light on street racing as something acceptable on a regular basis. I would much rather see the show as something where they talked solely about the cars and how they reached the point they’re at and didn’t show any street racing, but that’s not going to keep much of an audience (in the producers eyes). Ridiculous, but how it goes...

I don’t support the show, but calling it street racing is being more generous than I would be...

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > tromoly 11/15/2015 at 19:13

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To all the street racing wannabes...

...this is what happens when you DO have all the high dollar safety precautions and government agencies on board.

What would this be like is 95% of the people around just scattered or tried to start fights?

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > crowmolly 11/15/2015 at 19:15

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Good point. What they do have is much wider lanes. Your average lane in a two-lane road is 3.7m, or about 12 feet...drag strips are typically twice that wide. You’re entirely correct though, its not as if accidents don’t happen at drag strips.

crowmolly > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 11/15/2015 at 19:20

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I don’t know if this was part of a show filming, but if it wasn’t there could be a lot of environmental factors in play. Stones, grit, uneven surfaces, narrow lanes (as you mentioned) etc.

I know they scout out the filming locations and take a lot of precautions, etc.

If this was a “backwoods race” then who the hell knows.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > crowmolly 11/15/2015 at 19:29

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Yeah, I mean you can try to make it as safe as you can, but you’re never going to make it 100% safe even in a controlled environment.

That’s kinda the problem with the show, you’re taking something that’s already dangerous in the best of conditions and making it even more dangerous.

I’m not one of the “nobody should ever do that!!!!1!” people, the show is entertaining enough, but still. Glad everybody is okay.

crowmolly > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 11/15/2015 at 19:33

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Yeah, I’m the same way. I’m glad the guys are OK and the show can be entertaining to me. There’s a lot of cubic dollars in the cars and they run hard.

I don’t have an episode here in front of me but I seem to remember that they changed the opening disclaimer to state “these are closed courses” outright or something like that.

tromoly > crowmolly 11/15/2015 at 19:42

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It was part of filming for the show.

tromoly > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 11/15/2015 at 19:48

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The cars colliding, no. The cars going over curbs and going through fences, probably.

tromoly > Dusty Ventures 11/15/2015 at 19:54

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There’s a story dealing with what you’re saying..

A few years ago the producers of Street Outlaws went to the mayor of a town to film there, and the road he suggested ran along the property of an NHRA-level dragstrip. When the racers showed up to the “random road” and saw the dragstrip, several of them commented they should use the racetrack instead, which of course wasn’t possible because they didn’t rent the facility. So instead of running on the real racetrack, they ran down a 4-lane road next to a racetrack.

TheLOUDMUSIC- Put it in H! > tromoly 11/15/2015 at 20:07

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Dumb people gonna dumb...

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > tromoly 11/15/2015 at 20:17

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Maybe this will be enough to shut this show down

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 11/15/2015 at 20:27

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not saying street racing is ok, but this actually happens when you have way too much power than the street can take. Street surface doesnt grip like a track.

George McNally > tromoly 11/15/2015 at 20:38

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I enjoy the show for what it is.......entertainment.

What these guys and gals are doing is dangerous as hell (even under controlled conditions)....there is a real chance one of them could be killed.

Hopefully that won’t happen.

pip bip - choose Corrour > tromoly 11/16/2015 at 01:54

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charge them with reckless driving , reckless endangerment , something , anything!

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > tromoly 11/16/2015 at 10:38

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My friends friend was down there for that. His buddy was driving the red Mustang. Got those pictures first hand on my phone, glad everyone is ok!

Chasaboo > tromoly 11/17/2015 at 03:50

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Dang, it’s tough to stop stupid people from being stupid.