http://www.sacbee.com/news/calreport...y.cgi?N69.HTML

Laguna Niguel valet crashes Ferrari in joy ride

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- A 20-year-old hotel parking attendant took a Ferrari on a joy ride and crashed into a tree, a sheriff's lieutenant said Saturday.
Justin Burghardt, a valet at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, and another hotel employee, allegedly took the $170,000 car for a spin early Friday and hit a tree on hotel grounds shortly after taking the keys from the owner, Orange County sheriff's Lt. Larry Abbott said. The owner's name was withheld, Abbott said.

The 1998 Ferrari 355 F-1 was severely damaged and may be unsalvageable. Neither Burghardt nor his co-worker, whose name was withheld, were injured. It was unclear whether they remained employed at the Ritz Carlton.

The Ferrari, which can accelerate to 60 mph in five seconds, has a top speed of 183 mph. Enthusiasts say the car, with its racing-style gear shift, can be difficult for an inexperienced motorist to drive.



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Regards,
Gordon

'99 Red Lightning
Johnny Lightning Superchip
Johnny Lighting Ram Air Kit
Century Tonneau
Best 1/4 mi. ET: 13.249 secs

 

BadDog,
That is messed up! Why would anyone do something like that? I always keep track of my odometer when I drop it off at the dealership, I check the gas level too. If the dealership is doing something that doesn't require a road test and it has been driven more than .5 miles I get on them. Makes me not want to leave my truck anywhere with anyone! Am I the only one who feels like this?

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00 Black Lightning
No mods yet
00 Honda Civic
01 Pontiac Grand AM GT

 

HAHA, my friends used to do valet parking. They ragged the living **** out of those cars. They had to drive them around two city blocks to get into the garage b/c of the one-way streets. Those cars got whupped in those 2 blocks. I'll never valet park. If you raise your truck high enough, it won't fit in the garage and they'll have to park it right there out front with the other nice cars.

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2000 F150 XLT 4x4 Short Bed. Amazon Green, 5.4L, SuperCab, ORP, Tow Package, Sliding Rear Window, Electronic Shift, Keyless Entry, LT265-70-17 Tires, Clarion Pro Audio, Herculiner Bedliner, Air Silencer Removed.

1994 SVT Mustang Cobra. #1032 of 6009. Black coupe with black leather int., 3.73 rear, Bassani Exhaust, Aluminum D/S, Bridgestone RE-71 255-45-ZR17

My Home Page

 

My buddy worked at a nissan dealer ship and they had a corvette trade in and he went to go fill it up with gas. The dumba$$ smashed into the back of a semiand totaled the car. He claimed that he didn't know how to drive stick and he got confused with the pedals. Neddless to say, he's working of about 35,000.

 

I can't imagine anyone dumb enough to turn the keys to a 355 over to a valet, but whoever said that money=brains. I would never let a valet near my L. (but then I don't have to worry much about it at Burger King).

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

'84 Alan Record Carbonio, Aerospoke wheels, Campy brakes.
'00 SVT Lightning, silver, G-tech Pro, JBA headers, 4.10 gears, Swanson chip, Pro-M, NGK plugs, carbon drive shaft, Roadmaster suspension kit
13.39 @ 102.5
2001 Kevlacat 2400, twin 115 Evinrude FICHT, Raytheon VHF, radar, autopilot and GPS chartplotter/fishfinder.

gmvye@pacbell.net

 

That's why I have a 3000 rpm rev limiter (on stock program) in to my PSP 4-way. Just for situations like that, at the dealer.
Of course marking the rear tire treads doesn't hurt either.

Dan


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99.5 Vermillian Red SVT Born on date:
8/24/99 # 2094
N.L.O.C # 461
TEAM PSP MODIFIED.
A.R.E II w/wing
Best Time:
12.77 @ 105.80mph(SO FAR)
1.80 60ft
8.15 @ 85.55 mph 1/8

WE BE SMILIN NOW!!

 

I've been to the Ritz Carlton in Laguna before. I don't know if you really have a choice to even park your own car. It is a long *** driveway that takes you right up to the front door, and the valet is right there. I was in my Lightning and I did not like reading this story at all! I'm sure they had some fun those losers!

Mike

 

I wonder how do they break the news to the owner?

I would have made sure the kids were injured.

 

Damn, I want pictures!! I think I know that guy. If I do, I think I will slap him for killing such a nice car. Idiots...

But I'm with Alpha, don't have to worry about valet parking, as long as you have Drive Thru, and the Hotel 5!

-Marcus

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Black 2001 ordered and impatiently waiting.
<A HREF="Http://www.SVTperformance.com" TARGET=_blank> </A>

 

Couple of friends and I were chatting about this incident at lunch today, and one of them (a crane operator at L.A. harbor) says when faced with that situation he tells them that he is a policeman and has a gun in his car, and no one else can drive it due to the liability. Heck, I think I could pull this story off even better, since I carry my retirement badge in the glove compartment.