We used to be a country that was founded on the immutable principles of freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Now, you can’t even shoot fireworks at a Lamborghini from a helicopter for a YouTube video without the nanny state getting involved!Federal authorities arrested YouTuber Alex Choi on Thursday on charges stemming from a Fourth of July video he posted last summer. In the video, two women shoot fireworks from a helicopter at a blue Lamborghini set to Miley Cyrus’s song “Party in the USA.”Choi, a car influencer with 1 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, typically posts videos of various stunts with sports cars, like using his Lamborghini to tow other cars or filming passenger reactions as he rapidly accelerates while driving on streets.
The video, “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks,” which contained a paid promotion, has been removed from YouTube (a mirror of it exists on Instagram).
A screenshot from Choi’s YouTube Video.
Department of Justice
A criminal complaint filed by the US Attorney’s office in California’s Central District states that Choi violated the law during the filming of his video, “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks.” He faces one count of causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft. He also filmed on Bureau of Land Management land without a permit or insurance and used fireworks on BLM land, according to charging documents.
The charging papers also say the FAA investigated the video, which was filmed in the El Mirage Dry Lakebed in San Bernadino, California. The agency revoked the helicopter pilot’s license in December 2023.The AP reported that Choi appeared in court Thursday and was released on a $50,000 bond. He’ll be arraigned July 2.This isn’t the first time a YouTuber has gotten in trouble for a stunt.In 2021, a YouTuber intentionally crashed a plane in California for a video and had to serve six months of jail time for the stunt. A few weeks ago, the city of Seattle fined an Instagrammer $83,621 over penalties for reckless driving of a modified car he called the “Belltown Hellcat.”Choi did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent to his management agency.Now, sure, the stunt was wildly dangerous not just to the Lamborghini driver — recklessly setting off illegal fireworks in California comes with a risk of wildfire. (In case it’s not clear we’re speaking in jest, seriously: Don’t do this.)But the spirit and creativity of this stunt? Our founding fathers would be proud.
