Car-race film 'led to death of youth'

William Lacasse, 17, was hurled through the windscreen and died instantly when the high-performance Corvette he had been racing crashed into a concrete lamp-post during a high-speed duel with two other cars in Miami.

He was on his way home from the cinema, where he had just watched the film.

"The blood is on the hands of the makers of this movie," said Senator Ralph Harza, the Florida state representative for the Miami district of Hialeah.

"Kids watch this then they go out and duplicate what they saw. In real life, you die, and that’s the tragedy of this movie.

"I really think it’s irresponsible what is being shown to these kids, as if it’s exciting and fun," Mr Harza said.

Highway patrol officers are looking for the drivers of the other vehicles, who sped away from the scene of the incident, which took place in the early hours of Friday morning when Miami’s streets were largely deserted.

The two cars had pulled up alongside Mr Lacasse when he stopped at an intersection and flashed their lights. "It was a sign indicating they wanted to race," said Lieutenant Julio Pajon.

Mr Lacasse, whose father is a police officer in Palm Beach County, north of Miami, then engaged in a race that took him to speeds of 100mph before he lost control of the vehicle, say officers.

2 Fast 2 Furious is the sequel to the 2001 box-office hit The Fast and the Furious. It opened in the US last week, grossing $50 million in its first three days alone.

However, authorities across the US are increasingly concerned that the film is spawning a rash of dangerous copycat stunts by young boy-racers on public roads.

On its website, the film’s makers stress to young enthusiasts that the stunts were all performed by specially-trained professionals on closed roads. "No attempts should be made to duplicate any action or car play scenes," it urges.

Mr Lacasse’s death came days after five people - including two children - were injured on the way home from the beach when their two cars were struck by a BMW on Miami’s Rickenbacker Causeway.

The BMW’s driver, who was also hurt, had been racing against a Porsche at 100mph. Both men, aged 21 and 24, have since been charged with the misdemeanour crime of "racing on a highway".