Prison for Beijing’s boyracers after supercar smash

In this April 12, 2015 photo, policemen and bystanders check on a damaged Lamborghini, foreground, after it collided with a Ferrari in a tunnel in Beijing, China. Image by Chinatopix via AP

Two young men have been sentenced to up to five months in jail for dangerous driving after they crashed a Lamborghini and a Ferrari in a late-night race through Beijing.

The Chaoyang District Court found Tang Wentian, 21, and Yu Muchun, 20, guilty of dangerously operating motor vehicles, a court statement said. Neither would appeal the verdicts, which sentenced Tang to five months in jail and Yu to four, the court said. Both also were fined.

The court said Tang’s Lamborghini reached speeds of more than 179 kph (111 mph) per hour and that Yu’s Ferrari went over 165 kph (102 mph) in their race on the rainy night of April 11. One passenger in Tang’s car was injured. The speed limit was 70 kph (43 mph) for that stretch of road. The men were not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the district court said.

Reckless driving is not uncommon within the district, with more than 110 cases filed so far this year, most of which involve use of alcohol and men in their 20s and 30s, the court said.

The crash involving two luxury cars attracted much attention from the Chinese public, who speculated about the young men’s family backgrounds and how they could drive such expensive cars.

(Press Association)