OBITUARY

2 mourned in crash at illegal drag race - Mother wishes son had 'just stayed at home'

The Dallas Morning News - Monday, September 2, 1996

Author: Jeff Mosier, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News

The last time Moneta Whistler Gomez saw her son, he was leaving their Carrollton home to rent a videotape on Friday night.

Instead, Warren Anthony Whistler , 26, decided to drive to a stretch of Northwest Highway near Las Colinas to watch the street races. The warehouse worker occasionally watched his friends drag race, but he never participated in the dangerous sport himself, his mother said.

"I wish he would have just stayed at home, but there are some things you can't control," she said.

Mr. Whistler was one of two people killed early Saturday morning when a driver, believed to have been drunk, lost control of his car, which plowed through a crowd of as many as 200 onlookers, police said. Rebecca Patton, 18, of Grapevine was also fatally injured.

Police said that 13 other people were injured when the car driven by Paul Edward Danitz of Irving ran into the crowd gathered at the 1600 block of Northwest Highway about 2 a.m.

Mr. Danitz, 51, was also injured and was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and later released. He was charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter and was released about 3 p.m. Saturday after posting two $25,000 bonds, the Dallas County sheriff's office said. He could not be reached Sunday.

At least 12 other people, five of whom were listed in critical condition Saturday, were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital or Baylor University Medical Center. Parkland officials declined to release the victims' names or conditions on Sunday.

A spokeswoman at Baylor said she did not know the conditions.

Mrs. Gomez said she still has trouble believing that her son is dead.

The family planned to drive to Oklahoma on Saturday morning for a Choctaw Indian festival. Mr. Whistler was three-quarters Choctaw, his mother said.

"He was looking forward to this weekend," she said about the festival. "We had missed the past couple of years."

Mrs. Gomez said her son spent his free time playing with his 3-year-old son, Gordon Anthony Whistler , and practicing American Indian beadwork and leather work. Other evenings, he sat on the couch, munching on popcorn and watching movies, she said.

He was a 1988 graduate of R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton and worked at Dealers Electric.

Chris Brown, a survivor of Saturday's accident, also was coping with a loss. Ms. Patton was his girlfriend.

Mr. Brown of Keller, who was in Parkland on Sunday with a broken leg and other injuries, said that he doesn't remember the accident.

He said he was standing on the side of the road next to Ms. Patton and then "everything went black." He said he woke up moments later with a bystander holding his hand telling him he was going to be OK.

"I didn't know where she {Ms. Patton} was," said Mr. Brown, 19. "I asked everyone there, but no one said anything."

He didn't learn about his girlfriend's death until Saturday night.

Mr. Brown said he and Ms. Patton stopped by the races on the way to her house in Grapevine. They drove to The Grand movie theater early Saturday morning but were too late to catch the last showing of The Crow: City of Angels.

When they saw the street race, the couple stopped to watch. Neither had seen the illegal street races in the past, according to Mr. Brown.

"All we did was stop to watch," he said. "I had no idea anything like this could happen."

Residents said they have complained to police and city officials about the drag racing, which has become popular along that stretch of Northwest Highway. The mostly industrial area west of Interstate 35 and south of LBJ Freeway has in recent years become a popular spot for drag racing in the early morning hours, police have said.

Carl Danitz, who identified himself as Mr. Danitz' father, said he had not asked his son whether he had been drinking Friday night. The senior Mr. Danitz, who was at his son's Irving home, said he was not aware of any driving violations on his son's record.

"I just visited with him. He's fine," the senior Mr. Danitz said before declining to answer other questions.

Neighbors described Mr. Danitz as a quiet, friendly man who always waved at passers-by. They said he had lived in the neighborhood for about three years and that he works for a local radio station.

"There have never been any problems" with Mr. Danitz, said C.J. Beaupre, 64. "He's always working. He keeps up his house really well."

Services will be held for Mr. Whistler at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Harvey-Douglas Funeral Home in Ardmore, Okla. Burial will follow at Sealey-Blue Indian Cemetery, also in Oklahoma.

Mr. Whistler also is survived by his father, Guadalupe Gomez of Carrollton; two sisters, Alethea Laxon of Flower Mound and Veronica Gomez of Denton; a brother, Christopher Gomez of Denton; and a grandmother.

Information on services for Ms. Patton were unavailable Sunday.

Staff writer Stephen Power contributed to this report

Drunken driving suspect is indicted

The Dallas Morning News - Friday, October 18, 1996

Author: Ed Housewright, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News

A 52-year-old radio sales manager, who was allegedly drunk, was indicted Thursday in the deaths of two people at an illegal drag race in northwest Dallas in August.

Paul Edward Danitz of Irving was indicted on two counts of intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Up to 200 young people were packed along a median on Northwest Highway near Las Colinas in Irving when Mr. Danitz swerved into the crowd. Killed in the early-morning crash Aug. 30 were Rebecca Patton, 18, of Grapevine, and Warren Anthony Whistler , 26, of Carrollton.

Twelve others were seriously injured.

Mr. Danitz could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Barry Sorrels, said his client is experiencing "overwhelming anguish and sadness."

"I know that Paul accepts responsibility for his role in this tragedy," Mr. Sorrels said. "He's a person who has a huge conscience. I think anyone can imagine what feelings he must be having."

A father of one of the youths who was injured said he hoped that Mr. Danitz received a long prison sentence.

"I think the guy was totally stupid to be out there driving drunk," said William Lee, father of 17-year-old Corey Lee, who suffered a concussion and deep thigh bruise.

"This guy ought to be put away and made an example out of. He's put a lot of people in mental anguish and he should pay dearly."

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been watching the case and applauded the indictment.

"If he were drinking and behind the wheel of a vehicle, that makes him a menace and a danger," said Susan Bragg, director of victim services for the Metroplex chapter of MADD. "The circumstances regarding this situation are different from most in that there was a crowd of young people.

"We have heard that some were in the street. . . . That doesn't matter to us. What matters is that the person behind the steering wheel is straight and sober. I want to make sure he doesn't do this again."

Records indicated that Mr. Danitz had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18 percent. A person with a level of 0.10 percent or greater is considered legally drunk.

"That's pretty high," Norm Kinne, Dallas County first assistant district attorney, said of the 0.18 reading.

"You can certainly argue that these young people shouldn't have been out there watching drag races and whatever. But, nonetheless, that is not an excuse or justification for an individual having a .18 and running over a group of pedestrians."

DRIVEN TO DESTRUCTION - Police play game of cat and mouse with illegal racers

The Dallas Morning News - Monday, September 9, 1996

Author: Todd Bensman, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News

Suddenly, the shrill whine of two high-performance engines cut through the quiet that had settled among the warehouses in an industrial section of northwest Dallas.

To the Dallas police officers hiding behind one of the warehouses along Regal Row just off Irving Boulevard, the familiar sound signaled the expected. A caravan of about nine souped-up Mustangs and the like - which officers had just spooked away 10 minutes earlier - were back and ready to burn rubber.

"They'll sit there awhile before they get brave enough to race," Sgt. Todd Thomasson said from his squad car hidden nearby in the darkness. "They all already know where the quarter-mile mark is."

The cars found an empty parking lot, turned in, parked, and then waited.

"It's Mustang night at the races," read a wry message from another officer that came across Sgt. Thomasson's car computer screen.

It was 1:05 a.m. Sunday, one week after a car driven by a man accused of being drunk careened through a crowd of young drag-racing fans gathered along West Northwest Highway, killing two and seriously injuring 12 more. And although police were ordered out in force this weekend, the officers said they know the illegal racing will continue.

The officers watched as a 20-year-old Grand Prairie man who would identify himself only as Brandon pulled his gleaming white 1996 Mustang onto an empty stretch of Regal Row and stopped, revving loudly for a challenger and glancing about nervously. He said he'd just bought the car Labor Day weekend and wanted to test its mettle.

Candice Hinsley, a 17-year-old from Red Oak, accepted the noisy challenge. She pulled up alongside Brandon in her brother's shiny black 1986 Mustang, with its powerful 5.0-liter engine and purple neon undercarriage bulbs lighting the surrounding pavement.

The pair were off with a squeal of burning tires and the furious rage of engines for the standard quarter-mile heat that quickly reached 80 mph. And then it was all over - Ms. Hinsley had prevailed.

Police officers in squad cars swooped in on both Brandon and Ms. Hinsley seconds after the race and began writing traffic tickets and issuing stern warnings about the life-threatening dangers of illegal street racing.

The drivers and passengers in both cars said they had witnessed the carnage of the previous week but would never give up their passion. They said they do it for the rush, the love of fast cars and the company of those who share their values.

"It was a tragedy; he hit everyone, we almost threw up and everything, but we're not druggies or drunk drivers," said Brian Nellen, a 24-year-old Aledo resident who came to videotape his girlfriend, Ms. Hinsley, race the Mustang. "We don't feel like we're criminals because we race. It hurt us to have to see it, but the dude was drunk."

This weekend's illegal racing in northwest Dallas was more subdued than usual, due to the increased police presence, police said. Squad cars were positioned strategically near about five known racing spots in the area, including the site where memorial wreaths and crosses were placed in honor of last week's victims, Rebecca Patton and Warren Anthony Whistler .

Paul Danitz, a radio station sales manager, was charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter. He has not been available for comment.

The races like the one between Brandon and Ms. Hinsley occurred many times over late Saturday night and early Sunday morning in northwest Dallas. Plenty of diehards kept police busy in a time-honored game of cat and mouse in which vigilant racers and officers try to outguess each other's next move. The racers gathered, dispersed as police cruisers moved in, then gathered again.

For decades, youths have flocked on weekends, sometimes by the thousands, to quiet urban roadways throughout Dallas and Tarrant counties to race, watch and mingle in the excitement. They are young and old, and many come to Dallas from small outlying towns.

The activity is so popular that car salesmen have been known to showcase their vehicles at crowded locations, and some people bet money, police said. At the first sign of the law, they're off and running to the next location.

"It's an adrenaline rush," said Ms. Hinsley, who lives with her 26-year-old brother. "Your whole body shakes and shivers. When you're just driving, you ain't getting nothing. You're falling asleep on the way home, but then someone wants to race and it's like, OK, you're wide awake all the way home."

Such attitudes baffle the officers who patrol northwest Dallas and have seen the carnage of the races. Enthusiasts have zealously defended the pastime as a rich tradition that is no more dangerous than any other sport.

"They're standing in the middle of the highway at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night," Sgt. Thomasson said. "They don't understand it's not a safe thing to do. They get mad at us when we give them tickets. They say, `There's nothing out here, there's no traffic,' and `We don't have anywhere else to go.' "

But county morgues and hospitals are no strangers to victims of the races. No one apparently keeps track of how many have died or been hurt as a result of racing, but tragedies are not rare, police say. A sampling of those includes:

* In September 1995, a Terrell teenager was killed and two others critically injured during a street drag race near Terrell. Terry Payne, 17, died when his car flipped and landed in a Terrell culvert during a race.

* In September 1994, an elderly Mesquite couple, Ed Brummett and Ruth McClintock, were killed when two racers hit their car and a pedestrian, who was critically injured.

* In April 1994, a University Park teen died and his three passengers were injured when their racing car smashed into a guardrail during a drag race on the Dallas North Tollway.

The police officers out this weekend said they did what they could to deter the races but conceded that their successes may be fleeting.

They say routine Saturday night shootings, fights and other calls often divert them. And they complain that the penalties for racing are not a sufficient deterrent; drivers caught racing get a simple traffic ticket.

"When you ask them why they keep coming, they always say, `My dad was doing this when he was a little boy,' " said Officer J.T. Cubbage. "They always come back."

Deputy Chief Danny Garcia, who oversees the northwest Dallas police substation, recalls working drag race patrol himself 15 years ago.

He said more cooperation is needed from business owners who don't seem to mind the crowds gathering on their premises after hours.

"This problem isn't going to go away," he said. "It's the old adage: We can't be everywhere all the time.

1 killed, 15 hurt as van rolls over - Vehicle blew tire near Greenville - holiday toll of 40 predicted in state

The Dallas Morning News - Tuesday, September 3, 1996

Author: Kendall Anderson, Jason Sickles, Staff Writers of The Dallas Morning News

One man died and 15 other adults were injured Monday when the van they were driving from Mexico to Pennsylvania blew a tire and rolled over on Interstate 30 near Greenville, Texas.

There were 29 traffic deaths statewide as of 3 p.m. Monday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Officials estimated that as many as 40 travelers would die on Texas roadways during the 78-hour holiday weekend, which ended at midnight Monday.

The man killed in the van accident was identified as Roberto Lara, 22. He is believed to be a resident of Mexico.

Five of the 15 injured people were flown to Methodist Medical Center in Dallas, where they were listed in critical condition Monday evening. The other 10 men were taken to Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville, where one man remained in critical condition Monday night and another was transferred to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in serious condition. Eight men were treated and released, according to a hospital supervisor.

The accident occurred 45 miles northeast of Dallas shortly before noon. DPS troopers said the victim was with a group of men mostly in their 20s who were driving from Matamoros, Mexico, to Pennsylvania in the van.

Investigators said the accident occurred when the van's front left tire blew out on eastbound I-30 near FM1570, about one mile west of Greenville.

The van, which had Texas license plates, rolled over after the driver overcorrected, officials said.

"The van left the road, and the driver either turned too hard to the left or right," said Trooper Robert White with DPS in Garland.

Officials said they didn't know whether the accident victims were related or why the group was headed for Pennsylvania.

Trooper White said hospital and public safety officials had difficulty getting information from the injured people because they didn't speak English.

"We're still in the process of trying to ID them," Trooper White told The Associated Press. "We don't have a lot of information at this time."

The one-day record for deaths on Texas highways occurred during heavy holiday travel on July 3, 1994, when the state reported 46 fatalities. Thirty-one of those fatalities came in three accidents. Fourteen of those victims were Los Angeles residents who were killed near Weatherford when an 18-wheeler collided with a van carrying 18 people. Authorities said the truck driver's lack of sleep and worn-out shock absorbers on the overloaded van contributed to the collision.

This weekend, six other Dallas-area traffic fatalities contributed to the statewide total. A 25-year-old Dallas woman died Sunday after the car she was riding in was rear-ended about 3:30 a.m. in the 800 block of North Hampton Road. Police said Rita Elaine Gomez suffered severe head injuries when the back seat collapsed from the impact.

An 18-year-old Seagoville High School student died in a one-car accident early Saturday when he apparently lost control of his car, struck a light pole and a guardrail, police said. Casey Gene Bowen was driving east in the 5400 block of C.F. Hawn Freeway about 2:30 a.m. when the crash occurred.

A 36-year-old Frisco man and an unidentified 30-year-old woman died in two-car collision Saturday evening in Denton. Authorities said the woman apparently lost control of her car and struck Jonathan David Reed's car. Both died at the scene.

Two spectators at an illegal drag race on Northwest Highway near Las Colinas were killed early Saturday morning when an Irving man lost control of his car and plowed through a crowd of 200 spectators watching the race. Warren Anthony Whistler , 26, of Carrollton and Rebecca Patton, an 18-year-old Grapevine resident, died and 13 others were injured. Paul Edward Danitz, 51, was charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter