[Jay_328]

This was taken from a Fla newspaper. Reports about Josh posting on BimmerForum before the crash.


The 18-year-old behind the wheel of a BMW that crashed this weekend, killing five Florida teens was reportedly online hours earlier seeking advice on a BMW chat room on problems he was having with the transmission when he hit 140 mph in the $80,000 car.

Authorities say Joshua Ammirato, 18, of Fairfield, Fla., snuck his his father's gray 2008 BMW M-5 onto the main runway, with four friends onboard. Police say after racing down the strip, the car flew off an approximately 85-foot-high embankment at the end of the runway. They say the car was going so fast it went airborne for about 200 feet before slamming into a tree.

The car was split in two upon impact, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, ejecting three passengers and partially ejecting the other two.

All five victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Ammirato likely "braked and turned," said the patrol's Lt. Mike Burroughs, after he either "saw a hazard coming or realized that he was nearing the end of the runway," flipping the car sideways before sending it over the edge.

Officials told ABC News they found no alcohol on the scene and couldn't confirm reports in the media that the group had been drinking in celebration of one of the victims' 19th birthday the night of the crash.

But less than six hours before the accident, a user who called himself "AmericanM5" logged on to a BMW M-5 online forum asking for advice on how to make the 500-horsepower car go faster.

Florida newspaper the Star Banner identified the user as 18-year-old Ammirato.

"The problem is when I'm going pedal to the metal pushing 140 and upshifting, there tends to be thud noise with the gear change," AmericanM5 wrote in one post, adding, "Let me say I am beginner when it comes to high-performance cars as I am only 18 so take it easy on me."

Others on the online forum doubted AmericanM5's claims of owning such a high-powered BMW at such a young age and warned him to take it slow.

A member logged in as "M5Froth" wrote, "Its [sic] just disturbing to know, if you're for real, that an 18 year old who is asking these questions about a 500hp car is driving the same street I am. I don't have anything against young guys driving nice cars, but an 18 year old behind the wheel of an M5 is what accidents are made of IMO."

In his last entry on the forum, posted at 12:33 a.m. Saturday, AmericanM5 wrote, "I completley [sic] understand where you are coming from assuming that I am irresponsible.. that is definetly [sic] understandable. I do sometimes make bad decisions but I am young and I do drive safe and I will not endanger the lives of others.. and I hope you are not under the impression that I am the one to brag, I have never been that way and never will."