A couple in Tolland, Connecticut were heading home from a dinner in a Toyota MR2 Spyder when they passed through a street takeover on May 21. The crowd of supposed car enthusiasts ended up surrounding their mid-engined roadster and deliberately and maliciously destroying it as the couple, driver Stephanie and passenger Dennis Sargisian plead with them to stop.
By now you’ve probably seen the disturbing video. The Sargasians, who were not involved with the takeover, can do nothing but helplessly watch as members of the throng willfully jump on the convertible top, smash the mirrors, and kick in body panels and taillights. Stephanie Sargisian can be heard in the video trying to reason with the mob. “I just want to go home,” she says. A few participants stand down or encourage others to, but the car is pretty much totaled before the MR2 is allowed to pass.
Sargisian drove a few blocks away and called the police. Officers have since arrested Jefferson Duron, the alleged leader of the takeover after identifying his Mustang on another video. The 20-year-old Duron has been charged him with inciting to riot, riot, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and failure to display plates. He has since been released on a $30,000 bond.
Police reportedly did respond to the takeover, but said they “made a decision to stand down” according to a statement by Tolland Town Manager and former deputy police chief Brian Foley. The takeover reportedly also prevented an ambulance from passing through their blocked street; it had to turn around and go in a different direction.
Stephanie Sargisian told Eyewitness News 3 that the car had sentimental value to her. It had been given to her by her father. Under normal circumstances the approximately 20-year-old car would probably be totaled, but Stephanie’s daughter has started a Go Fund Me page to help repair the car. It has raised over $17,000 already.
Not that the destruction of any car would be acceptable, but the MR2 Spyder is clearly not just an average commuter. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that keeping a car like that for nearly two decades would require one to be at least somewhat of an enthusiast. Instead of just letting Sargisian go on her merry way they chose to block and demolish her beloved sports car.
Takeovers may be packed with people that like to conduct and to watch vehicular mayhem. They may even know more about performing stunts with cars and mechanical aspects of a car than an “ordinary” motorist like Sargisian. But they are not true enthusiasts. An true car enthusiast would never have done what they did to the MR2.
Wow, need to just floor it and clean the blood off later when animals are endangering and threatening your life.
Exactly. “Sorry your honor, I felt my life was in danger and obviously my life is worth more than any of theirs.”
I think I’ll get a set of spinners like Messala had on his chariot in the movie … that’ll rice, slice and dice those atrocity-makers big-time! I’ll look to see if I can make some for the S-Cargo.
That’s horrible. Hope the police make an example out of the perpetrators.
Car enthusiasts my bottom! Just a group of bored dumb ass thugs.
22 years ago, a movie debuted about a dystopian future featuring a bunch of useless punks driving around in an Adams Probe and causing mayhem. It seems that future portrayed in the Clockwork Orange is now here in so many parts of our violent and decaying society.
*typo: 52 years ago
How do we help the youth of today to engage with society in a positive way? Rebelling against the system isn’t a new thing, it’s been happening for like 100 years in our modern society, right? Yet why is there a fascination to bring about an apocalyptic future where only chaos reigns supreme? Is this a boiling point that was eventually bound to happen, or has the right combination of events occurred to force their hand? Or are MTV, punk music, and violent video games to blame lol…
I did stupid things when I was younger, but I never had the urge to hurt people or put lives in danger.
Maybe it’s an age thing. Maybe we all just need to wait until these idiots are more mature so they can see the value of making our world a better place (and not the whole world, but our own small worlds that we build around us and exist in). Maybe this maturity is only realised once you have kids?
As I read about this gross display of human behaviour, that on the surface has links to the car community I’m so proud to be a part of, I’m arranging to help a fellow S130 series Toyota Crown enthusiast over Messenger with an interstate car purchase. Someone I’ve never met in person is trusting me to have a car towed to my house so I can start working on it (the engine was partly disassembled for removal to replace a rear main seal) while he gets on a plane to fly up, help put it back together so he can drive it back home (nearly 2000 km and 24 hours worth of one-way travel [Gold Coast, QLD to Nurioopta, SA). I’m pretty sure there won’t be any financial gain for me during this adventure, but that doesn’t bother me. I’m just happy to help out my internet friend and I feel it’s important to positively contribute to the car community we belong to where possible.
Hyper-polarisation creates very deep pits from which it’s pointless, and less desirable, to climb out of. So instead, it’s destroy everything and everyone that doesn’t conform to their ideals of this or that (haircut, gender, choice of car, race, you name it).
There’s no sense to it, but it helps to know how they think (or don’t).