There have been several studies over the years correlating our behavior to what we see in movies and televsion. Ironically, a recent study suggested that theFast and Furiousmovies actually have an influence on people to drive faster, which a New York man decided to take one step further. Instead of just speeding, the driver tried to reenact a stunt from theFast and Furiousfranchise that resulted in a police officer being hit and nearly dragged behind the black Mercedes Benz blasting through Time Square of all places.
Reports state that the police officer went to stop the car that was doing donuts in the middle of Times Square, a stunt that has been seen in theFast and Furiousmovies. However, when the officer approached the vehicle, it sped off, hitting the officer and taking him for a ride alongside the black Mercedes Benz, which continued to literally burn rubber down the street. The video shows the cop taking a quick ride on the hood of the car before being thrown off of the car and tossed to the side.
20-year old Arfhy Santos was behind the wheel when the incident took place. In addition to hitting thepolice officer, Santos also hit a few cars when he sped down the crowded street. Luckily nobody was injured, though the police officer who was struck by the vehicle suffered minor injuries. Santos' lawyer says that the behavior was taken from theFast and Furiousmovies. He had this to say.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the sensationalism of the video that had goneviralat this point. My client’s behavior that day was stupid, to reenact a scene out ofThe Fast and the Furious.”
Arfhy Santos ischarged with assaultand was held on $100,000 bail at his arraignment in a Manhattan courthouse. Santos also has open drug dealing charges from an October 2017 arrest. The owner of the black Mercedes Benz, 24-year old William Lopez, was also in the car and was held on a $5,000 bond. It’s pretty amazing to see Santos' lawyer use theFast and Furiousfranchise as an excuse for his stupid behavior, which could hurt the image of thevery popular series of movies. There’s no word if Arfhy Santos was under the influence at the time of his arrest.
As previously noted, the news comes after a study showed a link between speeding and watching theFast and Furiousmovies. But can that possibly be the reasoning behind the behavior of an adult? A 20-year old man’s defense after nearly killing a police officer and harming others is because he wanted to beVin Diesel? Whatever the case may be, it looks like Mr. Santos will get some jail time for pretending he was a famous movie star like a 4-year old. You can check out video of the incident below, courtesy of Inside Edition.
