Charges against exotic car culture personality Benjamin Chen in connection with a chain of collisions involving a modified Porsche Carrera GT in New York City last year were dismissed Monday. The New York Criminal Court released a statement saying the charges of reckless driving and operating under the influence had to be dropped because they “[…] cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Road & Track reports.
Chen was allegedly driving the Gemballa Mirage GT that left a trail of destruction through the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan last April. Police arrested Chen after the GT struck several other vehicles, scattering debris along 11th Avenue before coming to a stop near 44th Street, just north of the Javits Center, which was still serving as a field hospital for coronavirus patients at the time the incident took place.
Chen is a supercar collector and the co-founder of Gold Rush Rally, an annual rally of exotic and luxury vehicles. This Instagram video surfaced of the hoodie-wearing driver, who resembled Chen, being ordered out of the vehicle by responding officers.
The Gemballa Mirage GT is a modified Porsche Carrera GT that can cost north of $750,000, depending on how you have it personalized. The car involved in the incident was identified as Chen’s by its custom finish and vanity plate, the former being well-documented online. Chen’s was the 23rd Mirage conversion produced and it appeared to suffer quite a bit of damage. Photos and videos from the scene depict a car with a severely compromised suspension and extensive body damage. However, with the bulk of the carnage appearing to be reserved for the front of the car, this mid-engine piece of unobtanium might still be worth fixing.