Man gets no jail time for racing crash

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A 19-year-old Virginia Beach man has been sentenced to one year in prison, suspended, for what Beach police referred to as racing.

The accident occurred Sept. 9 in the 700 block of Lynnhaven Parkway.

Two vehicles, one driven by 19-year-old Joseph Boyd Fisher, III and another by a juvenile, were racing northbound on Lynnhaven Parkway. The juvenile was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Camaro and Fisher was driving a 2006 Nissan Sentra.

A 17-year-old juvenile was also arrested and charged with felony racing, bodily injury and violation of under 18 restrictions (having more than one person who is underage in the car). According to the Commonwealth's Attorney, they are preparing the juvenile's social history report and he is due back in court Jan. 24.

"Maybe two lights prior is when it initially started," Fisher told WAVY in September.  "Me and him both accelerated, because it's green. He accelerated further in front of me and I think at the time I was in the far right lane. He then cuts me off for what ever reason, I got pissed off."

Police told WAVY.com although the suspects were obeying traffic signals, they drove through green lights at high rates of speed. When the cars passed the intersection of Lynnhaven Parkway and Lishelle Place, the juvenile lost control of the Camaro, hit a tree, rotated 180 degrees and struck a second tree.

At this point, the Camaro rotated back into the roadway and struck the Nissan driven by Fisher on the driver's side. The Nissan then moved across two lanes and struck a tree as well.

The two suspected drivers did not receive injuries, one passenger was hospitalized and released and a second passenger, a juvenile, received serious massive injuries. His current condition is unknown.

Fisher pleaded no contest and his driver's license has been suspended.