Photo: Instagram / ronniecnyc
The almost empty streets of New York City, or any other major city for that matter, are almost too big a speeding temptation to resist. As most drivers stay at home to flatten the curb, daredevils have led to a spike in the number of incidents for speeding and illegal racing.
Benjamin Chen is, as always, in a league of his own. The millionaire playboy, supercar aficionado, racer and goldRush Rally co-founder was involved in a serious accident in New York in the early hours of Tuesday morning (April 7). He wasn’t hurt, but his very rare (25 of them were ever made) and very expensive blue Gemballa Mirage GT was completely wrecked. As were five other vehicles.
Videos of the actual crash and the absolutely bonkers aftermath, when Chen sped off and fled the scene and then tried to flee again, as police were about to arrest him, have made their way online, on social media. You can find a selection of them at the bottom of the page.
One of the first accounts of the crash came from Instagram user ronniecnyc, who also posted photos of the badly damaged Porsche. At the time, the New York Post notes, the NYPD were working under the assumption that the car had been stolen. It came speeding through an intersection in Hell’s Kitchen and smashed into the back of a Toyota Sienna.
The Porsche sped away, parts flying off the wreck as it rushed through mostly-empty streets, running red lights, and crashed into other four parked cars. Police caught up with the driver and arrested him – but not before he tried to flee once more.
The NYPD has confirmed that Chen was at the wheel. “It is definitely not a stolen car,” a spokesperson said. Chen was arrested and charged with reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, and remains in custody as of the time of press.
The Gemballa-modified Porsche Carrera GT had two owners until Chen bought it in 2014. He painted it blue and was involved in the modifications made to it, he told the DuPont Registry in an interview at the time. He also said he planned on driving it at least once a month, though he most likely didn’t plan to drive it like this.
Videos of the actual crash and the absolutely bonkers aftermath, when Chen sped off and fled the scene and then tried to flee again, as police were about to arrest him, have made their way online, on social media. You can find a selection of them at the bottom of the page.
One of the first accounts of the crash came from Instagram user ronniecnyc, who also posted photos of the badly damaged Porsche. At the time, the New York Post notes, the NYPD were working under the assumption that the car had been stolen. It came speeding through an intersection in Hell’s Kitchen and smashed into the back of a Toyota Sienna.
The Porsche sped away, parts flying off the wreck as it rushed through mostly-empty streets, running red lights, and crashed into other four parked cars. Police caught up with the driver and arrested him – but not before he tried to flee once more.
The NYPD has confirmed that Chen was at the wheel. “It is definitely not a stolen car,” a spokesperson said. Chen was arrested and charged with reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, and remains in custody as of the time of press.
The Gemballa-modified Porsche Carrera GT had two owners until Chen bought it in 2014. He painted it blue and was involved in the modifications made to it, he told the DuPont Registry in an interview at the time. He also said he planned on driving it at least once a month, though he most likely didn’t plan to drive it like this.
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