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No Arrest Made In 9-Car Smash Up; Queens Family Outraged

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A Queens family is outraged that four of their parked cars were smashed by an out of control driver who was not arrested.

PHOTOS: Cars Involved In Smash-Up

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1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports

The driver, Richard Popolizio, 39, of Floral Park, caused a nine-car smash-up on Commonwealth Boulevard in Bellerose at 10:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 18, according to a police accident report.

The Augugliaro family was having a Christmas party inside their Bellerose home near 88th Road when the crash occurred. "It sounded like a series of explosions", said Angela Augugliaro.

The report indicates Popolizio rear-ended a car driving in front of him, and both cars went out of control ricocheting into seven cars parked along the side of the road. One parked vehicle was flipped over, several others were destroyed, and the car Popolizio rear-ended was totalled.

Four of the parked cars belong to Augugliaro family members, who estimate their losses at $100,000. "It's just upsetting. My cars are minding their own business and to be destroyed like that it's senselessness.", said Angela Augugliaro.

Given the damage, the Augugliaro's find it hard to believe that Popolizio was not charged with speeding or reckless driving."You could never push these cars the way he did doing 40 mph", said Michael Augugliaro. A police spokesman told 1010 WINS there is no indication Popolizio was high or drunk and "no criminality" was involved.

Popolizio has not responded to a message left at his home.

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