This license plate is on a 2001 BMW that was one of four cars confiscated by police and taken to Bill's Towing in Hicksville. (Newsday Photo / Julia Gaines / October 1, 2008)
If the vanity plate on the 2001 BMW speeding along the Long Island Expressway was meant to attract the attention of police, then the Queens man racing several others yesterday got what he asked for, police said.
Around 1:20 a.m., Nassau Highway Patrol Officer Joseph Fernandez was pulling onto the westbound highway near Exit 48 when he saw eight to 10 high-end cars zip by faster than 100 mph, weaving through traffic, said Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone.
Fernandez flipped on his emergency lights and tried to make a traffic stop, but the cars kept going, Repalone said. Fernandez called other units for assistance.
"He sees them in and out of traffic, headed toward the city, and he radios ahead to other patrol units to set up a stop," Repalone said.
The cars zipped to an area police call "the valley," the 2 1/2-mile stretch between exits 40 and 39, where two officers were waiting. When slower traffic forced the cars to slow, the officers stopped four of them near Exit 37 in Roslyn Heights, police said. The rest sped off.
Police arrested Anil Isaac, 22, of 124-08 107th Ave., Richmond Hill, who was driving the "HEYOFFCR" car. They also arrested brothers Ziad, 21, and Riad Mohamed, 19, both of 149-26 122nd Pl., and Rajesh Prashaud, 21, of 135-26 Lefferts Blvd., all South Ozone Park. Riad Mohamed was in a 2006 Mazda RX8, Ziad in a 2004 Nissan, and Prashaud in a 2004 Infiniti
The four face charges of second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, unlawful fleeing a police officer and illegal speed contest, as well as more than 40 traffic violations.
All four are being held and are scheduled to appear today in First District Court in Hempstead . The cars were impounded.
The drivers told police they were returning from a night of drag racing on Deer Park Avenue, police said. Suffolk police did not return a call regarding the drag racing yesterday.
Windshield stickers on three of the cars read "Place Ticket Here," police said.
A woman who identified herself as Isaac's mother declined to comment, as did a man who answered the phone at the Mohamed residence. A message left at the Prashaud residence was not returned. Isaac was issued 12 summonses for violations including an obstructed driver's view, failure to stay in a lane and having an illegally tinted windshield. Ziad Mohamed received 11 violations, Riad Mohamed seven and Prashaud eight, police said.
"We had the last laugh," Repalone said.
