A 25-year-old influencer and YouTuber, famous for his drag-racing videos, died in a car crash early Wednesday morning on the Nassau Expressway in Queens, New York. Andre Beadle, known online as 1Stockf30, was reportedly driving eastbound “at a high rate of speed” in a 2023 BMW when he lost control of the vehicle, New York police confirmed.

Police shared he “veered to the right,” going off the right side of the road and into the shoulder, where his vehicle collided with a metal pole, authorities told People magazine. Emergency responders arrived at the scene around 1:12 am, and Beadle was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead. The Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is continuing to investigate the incident.

Mr Beadle, who had 59,500 YouTube subscribers and nearly 250,000 followers on Instagram, frequently shared content on street racing and his experiences with high-performance cars. In a video titled “I’m bringing the M240 back to the streets + Trackhawk vs 1Stock Corvette $10,000 race,” he took his BMW to get it serviced in preparation for an upcoming race. 

Some of Mr Beadle’s videos, filmed alongside other popular street racers, included disclaimers urging viewers to “follow the road code and drive with care.”

In June, Mr Beadle revealed in a video that he previously crashed his BMW at “170 mph.”

Fans and supporters have been invited to gather at Haffen Park on Friday, November 8, at 4:30 pm for a balloon release in his honour. 

“Bring some balloons and come celebrate life with the young legend and trendsetter,” read a post shared to Mr Beadle’s Instagram on Wednesday. The tribute described him as “driven by passion” and “fueled by the thrill,” adding, “May you find the ultimate track among the stars.”

A speeding BMW, allegedly driven by a Shiv Sena leader’s son, hit a two-wheeler in Mumbai’s Worli on Sunday killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring her husband. Fish sellers Kaveri and Pradip Nakhva were returning after buying fish from Sassoon Dock when their scooter was hit from behind by the car. 

The couple were flung in the air and landed on the car’s bonnet. While Pradeep managed to jump off it, Kaveri was dragged for 100 metres. She died on the way to the hospital.

The suspect, 24-year-old Mihir Shah, who was driving the car while drunk has been on the run, police said.

Who is Mihir Shah?

Mihir Shah is the son of Rajesh Shah, a leader of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. The politician.

Mihir studied till Class 10 and did not pursue any further education. He joined his father’s construction business based in Maharashtra.

The night before the accident, Mihir was out till late at night drinking in Juhu. In a drunk state, he asked his driver Rajendra Singh Bijawat to take him on a long drive.

After driving from Juhu to Worli, he told the driver he would take the wheel and drive the rest of the way. The accident happened soon after at 5.30 am.

After the crash, the accused allegedly tried to scratch off a Shiv Sena sticker on the car and removed its number plate to avoid the car being linked to his father.

He then left the car in Bandra Kalanagar and fled the scene.

He allegedly called his father to inform him about the crash and then switched off his phone. The police suspect that his girlfriend may have helped in hiding him after the accident.

What happens now?

Mihir’s father Rajesh Shah and his driver, Rajendra Singh Bijawat, were arrested last evening for not cooperating with the police, among other charges, and will be produced in court today.

The car was found registered in his father’s name, Rajesh Shah.

Worli police have registered a case against Mihir for rash driving, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, endangering life and sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Four police teams are currently searching for Mihir.

Chandigarh:

A speeding BMW ran over a biker in Mohali late last night while two others injured in the accident are critical. The car, coming from the Banur side, rammed their bike on the Zirakpur Patiala Highway. In the impact, the bike got stuck between a truck parked on the roadside and the car.

The three injured riders were rushed to a hospital nearby by passersby where one of them, Sahib, died. Sumit and Rajveer Singh, residents of Pabhat village, are undergoing treatment at the JP Hospital.

After the accident at night, the victim’s family members blocked the Patiala Highway.

The BMW had a ‘VIP’ registration number, which is usually auctioned to interested car enthusiasts. Its driver has gone missing after the accident.

India is witnessing widespread outrage over rash driving, which intensified after a drunken 17-year-old in Pune was let off in a drink driving case with punishment as lenient as writing an essay on the accident. The son of a prominent builder in the city, who had crashed his Porsche Taycan and killed two 24-year-old techies, is now in a remand home.

In another incident that followed the Pune accident, an elderly man died after being hit by a speeding Audi while crossing the road in Noida.

Transport ministry data suggests India has witnessed 67,000 hit-and-run incidents and over 30,000 related deaths in 2022, the latest year for which the figures are available.