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Police put brakes on Manhattan loop driver with speedy arrest Police put brakes on Manhattan loop driver with speedy arrest
(12 days later)
A man who posted a video of himself speeding 26 miles around the perimeter of Manhattan island in just 24 minutes has been arrested and charged with reckless driving, New York City police said on Friday.A man who posted a video of himself speeding 26 miles around the perimeter of Manhattan island in just 24 minutes has been arrested and charged with reckless driving, New York City police said on Friday.
Christopher Adam Tang, 30, was detained on Thursday night. His BMW Z4 was also seized, after police said they had identified him as the driver who posted a YouTube video, Fastest Lap Around Manhattan 2013, under the name Afro Duck Production. Tang has been charged with reckless driving, reckless endangerment and other charges.Christopher Adam Tang, 30, was detained on Thursday night. His BMW Z4 was also seized, after police said they had identified him as the driver who posted a YouTube video, Fastest Lap Around Manhattan 2013, under the name Afro Duck Production. Tang has been charged with reckless driving, reckless endangerment and other charges.
The "record lap" was posted on 28 August. The six-minute, speeded-up video was filmed with a dashboard-mounted camera. It shows a vehicle accelerating through traffic as it speeds south along Franklin D Roosevelt Drive from a start point of 116th Street, in Harlem. A clock is superimposed on to the video, showing the time as the car weaves through traffic – and stops for six red lights. Afro Duck Production said the official time for the 26.4 mile route was 24 minutes 7 seconds and 10 one-hundredths-of-a-second.The "record lap" was posted on 28 August. The six-minute, speeded-up video was filmed with a dashboard-mounted camera. It shows a vehicle accelerating through traffic as it speeds south along Franklin D Roosevelt Drive from a start point of 116th Street, in Harlem. A clock is superimposed on to the video, showing the time as the car weaves through traffic – and stops for six red lights. Afro Duck Production said the official time for the 26.4 mile route was 24 minutes 7 seconds and 10 one-hundredths-of-a-second.
Tang appears, however, to have sealed his own downfall by posting the video. The opening credits reveal the date of the lap (26 August) and the type of car the record was set in (a "2006 BMW Z4 3.0SI") – information which police appear to have used to track the driver down.Tang appears, however, to have sealed his own downfall by posting the video. The opening credits reveal the date of the lap (26 August) and the type of car the record was set in (a "2006 BMW Z4 3.0SI") – information which police appear to have used to track the driver down.
New York City's police commissioner, Ray Kelly, said on Tuesday that officers would would find the driver using road cameras. "We've seen this before. We've taken enforcement action," Kelly said. "We now have licence plate readers that will help in this investigation."New York City's police commissioner, Ray Kelly, said on Tuesday that officers would would find the driver using road cameras. "We've seen this before. We've taken enforcement action," Kelly said. "We now have licence plate readers that will help in this investigation."
The poster of the speeding video had told the Jalopnik motoring website that police would be unable to find him. "You frankly can't identify who I am by just looking at the video and records were meant to be broken. I'll release my name a year from now," Afro Duck Productions said. In the same interview, the poster of the video insisted he was "always in control".The poster of the speeding video had told the Jalopnik motoring website that police would be unable to find him. "You frankly can't identify who I am by just looking at the video and records were meant to be broken. I'll release my name a year from now," Afro Duck Productions said. In the same interview, the poster of the video insisted he was "always in control".
"In fact, this wasn't the first time I broke the record," he said. "I can do it consistently under 24 minutes and most likely beat my own record again. Whether you['re] a good driver or not, when you're on the road, you have a high chance of getting hit by a drunk driver, being cut off (especially in NY), etc. Being a good driver, you're more aware of what is around you."In fact, this wasn't the first time I broke the record," he said. "I can do it consistently under 24 minutes and most likely beat my own record again. Whether you['re] a good driver or not, when you're on the road, you have a high chance of getting hit by a drunk driver, being cut off (especially in NY), etc. Being a good driver, you're more aware of what is around you.
"Being a fast driver doesn't mean that you're inherently a bad or reckless driver. Like I said before, I'm in control. That said, understand traffic patterns, understand what's around you and understand how others control or don't control their cars.""Being a fast driver doesn't mean that you're inherently a bad or reckless driver. Like I said before, I'm in control. That said, understand traffic patterns, understand what's around you and understand how others control or don't control their cars."
In 2011 Corporate Broadcasting Company posted a video of the Manhattan loop being completed in 26 minutes and three seconds that appeared to have been set in a convertible Mercedes. The run had been completed a year before, CBC said, and the filmmakers had taken care not to identify the exact model of car or the exact date of the lap.In 2011 Corporate Broadcasting Company posted a video of the Manhattan loop being completed in 26 minutes and three seconds that appeared to have been set in a convertible Mercedes. The run had been completed a year before, CBC said, and the filmmakers had taken care not to identify the exact model of car or the exact date of the lap.
Alex Roy, a rally race driver who in 2006 set a record for the fastest time driving from New York City to Los Angeles, appears to have started the trend for attempting to record the fastest Manhattan loop. Roy claimed in a book, The Driver: My Dangerous Pursuit of Speed and Truth in the Outlaw Racing World, that he set a record for the fastest driven Manhattan lap on 10 September 2001, completing the route in 27 minutes and hitting top speeds of 144mph. Roy never posted video footage of his drive.Alex Roy, a rally race driver who in 2006 set a record for the fastest time driving from New York City to Los Angeles, appears to have started the trend for attempting to record the fastest Manhattan loop. Roy claimed in a book, The Driver: My Dangerous Pursuit of Speed and Truth in the Outlaw Racing World, that he set a record for the fastest driven Manhattan lap on 10 September 2001, completing the route in 27 minutes and hitting top speeds of 144mph. Roy never posted video footage of his drive.
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