Feud Might Have Caused Fatal Crash

Road rage or racing between two vehicles may have contributed to a fatal auto crash here last Friday that claimed the lives of two young men, police said Monday.

Simi Valley police detectives say they are investigating whether Shane Connaughton, 21, and Kevin Baustert, 20, were being chased at the time their pickup crashed at about 2:30 a.m. on Los Angeles Avenue and Hubbard Street.

“We know there was a verbal confrontation before all of this occurred,” said Senior Officer Herman “Butch” Hale.

According to police, Connaughton of West Hills and Baustert of Woodland Hills were at a billiard hall on Tierra Rejada Road when they had an argument for unknown reasons with Andy Chilcoat, 31, of Simi Valley.

Connaughton and Baustert then left the pool hall and drove to a Circle K on Los Angeles Avenue, where Chilcoat and another man, Michael McIntyre, 23, of Simi Valley, arrived moments later in separate vehicles, said Sgt. Jeff Malgren.

McIntyre had also been at the pool hall but was not directly involved in the argument, police said.

Baustert was the passenger in a 1999 Dodge pickup driven by Connaughton, who sped out of the parking lot and headed east on Los Angeles Avenue at about 75 mph, which is nearly twice the speed limit, authorities said.

At the time of the crash, Malgren said it appeared Baustert and Connaughton were either being chased or taunted, allegedly by McIntyre, or were racing against his 2000 Toyota Celica.

Chilcoat was apparently trailing both vehicles in his 1985 Ford pickup and eventually turned off on a side street and left, authorities said.

During the high-speed incident, Connaughton lost control of his truck and slammed into both a tree and a power pole, killing both men, authorities said.

McIntyre was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. No other charges have been filed against him or Chilcoat, but the case remains under investigation, police said.