Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer is working with actors from the “Fast and Furious” movies to end street racing and takeovers in a new PSA released by his office.
Spitzer unveiled the PSA in a recent press release, which stated that the video “is being made available to every law enforcement agency in the United States in an effort to curb injuries and deaths related to street racing.”
Actor Sung Kang, who played Han Lue in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, directed the PSA and appears in it along with Cody Walker, brother of the late franchise star Paul Walker, who died while speeding in Valencia in 2013.
The takeaway message of the PSA is to race responsibly at a track — not on public streets.
“I wish our special effects could bring back our loved ones, but unfortunately that won’t be the case,” Kang said. “We are honored to be able to be part of such an important message. Stop racing on the streets and go to the track!”
Orange County law enforcement have noted an epidemic in street racing since the onset of the pandemic led to fewer cars on the roads.
The problem spans the entire SoCal region. Last year, the LAPD’s Central Traffic Street Racing Unit responded to 464 street racing incidents — over 100 more than in 2020. The unit also made 833 arrests of perpetrators last year. The LAPD said that three people have died as a result of the racing.
In 2020, the OCDA formed a task force with 10 other law enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, to combat illegal street racing.
Their activities have been productive so far. “To date, we have issued over 3,000 citations. We’ve made approximately 300 arrests and impounded countless vehicles,” California Highway Patrol Westminster Area Commander Denise Soffa stated.
Spitzer promised to crack down on illegal street racing by prosecuting drivers “to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Taking over streets, destroying intersections and driving nearly 190 mph in traffic next to innocent drivers and passengers are dangerous and violent crimes and they must be treated as such,” he said. “No one — and I mean no one — gets to kill an innocent bystander in pursuit of a high-speed adrenaline rush and get away with it in Orange County.”
Appearing via video at the unveiling of the PSA, Cody Walker urged the public to drive safely.
“Like many of you, I too have lost somebody due to reckless driving,” Walker said. “I think a lot of the time when those of us that want to go fast, or we have something to prove, we don’t take into consideration the lives of those around us. It’s not just you that you’re putting in jeopardy, it’s everybody else around you. So don’t be dumb, take it to the track. There’s somebody at home that loves you that’s expecting you to return. It’s not worth the risk, I promise.”
