PC-GUY
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By Michael Ko
Seattle Times staff reporter
It wasn't the smartest thing to do, Tom Fine admitted from his hospital bed at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where 20 percent of his body is covered with second-degree burns.
But irritated enough by what he perceived as an illegal street race in front of his West Seattle home Friday night, Fine said he confronted one of the drivers and lunged for the keys through the open window.
Seconds later, he tumbled to the asphalt about a quarter-mile down the street. He had been dragged at estimated speeds of 40 to 50 mph and then dumped. The driver took off.
Illegal street racing has been a citywide problem for a long time, said Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb. But the street-racing culture is hard to quantify and hard to control, he said. In this case, Fine was so fed up with it, he almost got himself killed.
Fine, 43, a general contractor who remodels residential homes, was getting ready for bed about 11:45 p.m. Friday when he heard cars revving loudly outside.
The approximately half-mile, two-lane stretch of Beach Drive Southwest in front of Fine's house is wide, flat, straight and smooth. Perfect, Fine said, for zippy little sports cars and motorcycles; it's been an ongoing problem.
"I have a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old," Fine said. "I don't need those cars flying by like that."
That night, he turned on his front porch light and saw six cars in an organized drag-racing set up. Two cars were revving next to each other; a "starter" was standing between them.
After Fine walked out the door, the starter threw his arms down and the two cars screeched away. Fine yelled. Two more cars burned rubber. He was furious.
Then, "instead of being smart, thoughtful, instead of me calling the police, I make a stupid move and go out there," Fine said. He figured the police would take too long to get there. Fine's wife, Peggy, said he is not afraid of confrontation.
Wearing nothing but pajama shorts, Fine walked up to one of the remaining cars.
"What's wrong with you guys? There's people who live here. This is ridiculous," Fine recalled telling the driver. Fine put his hands around the steering wheel and reached for the ignition, but the car started moving and Fine scrambled to hold on.
The most visible damage is to Fine's back. A bright cherry-red skid mark begins at his left shoulder blade and ends at his left buttock. There were no broken bones or internal injuries, and Fine is expected to recover, but doctors are considering skin grafts.
Police are investigating but have few leads. Fine didn't get any license-plate numbers and his descriptions aren't much more specific than a group of 18- to 20-year-olds.
Whitcomb said police look for speeders in Alki, which is a few blocks north of Fine's house, to deter racing. Street racing is a misdemeanor crime.
The Fines said they plan to talk to neighbors about the possibility of requesting that the city install speed bumps or turnabouts on the street.
Seattle Times staff reporter
It wasn't the smartest thing to do, Tom Fine admitted from his hospital bed at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where 20 percent of his body is covered with second-degree burns.
But irritated enough by what he perceived as an illegal street race in front of his West Seattle home Friday night, Fine said he confronted one of the drivers and lunged for the keys through the open window.
Seconds later, he tumbled to the asphalt about a quarter-mile down the street. He had been dragged at estimated speeds of 40 to 50 mph and then dumped. The driver took off.
Illegal street racing has been a citywide problem for a long time, said Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb. But the street-racing culture is hard to quantify and hard to control, he said. In this case, Fine was so fed up with it, he almost got himself killed.
Fine, 43, a general contractor who remodels residential homes, was getting ready for bed about 11:45 p.m. Friday when he heard cars revving loudly outside.
The approximately half-mile, two-lane stretch of Beach Drive Southwest in front of Fine's house is wide, flat, straight and smooth. Perfect, Fine said, for zippy little sports cars and motorcycles; it's been an ongoing problem.
"I have a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old," Fine said. "I don't need those cars flying by like that."
That night, he turned on his front porch light and saw six cars in an organized drag-racing set up. Two cars were revving next to each other; a "starter" was standing between them.
After Fine walked out the door, the starter threw his arms down and the two cars screeched away. Fine yelled. Two more cars burned rubber. He was furious.
Then, "instead of being smart, thoughtful, instead of me calling the police, I make a stupid move and go out there," Fine said. He figured the police would take too long to get there. Fine's wife, Peggy, said he is not afraid of confrontation.
Wearing nothing but pajama shorts, Fine walked up to one of the remaining cars.
"What's wrong with you guys? There's people who live here. This is ridiculous," Fine recalled telling the driver. Fine put his hands around the steering wheel and reached for the ignition, but the car started moving and Fine scrambled to hold on.
The most visible damage is to Fine's back. A bright cherry-red skid mark begins at his left shoulder blade and ends at his left buttock. There were no broken bones or internal injuries, and Fine is expected to recover, but doctors are considering skin grafts.
Police are investigating but have few leads. Fine didn't get any license-plate numbers and his descriptions aren't much more specific than a group of 18- to 20-year-olds.
Whitcomb said police look for speeders in Alki, which is a few blocks north of Fine's house, to deter racing. Street racing is a misdemeanor crime.
The Fines said they plan to talk to neighbors about the possibility of requesting that the city install speed bumps or turnabouts on the street.
