1300 hp mercury comet brake failure crash

I have a B&M Ratchet Shifter and it will upshift and downshift through the forward gears without issue.
All the guy had to do to slow and perhaps stop the car was to down shift to 1st and shut off the ignition.
But then all they guy had to do to prevent the whole issue was to properly build and set up the car prior to driving it on the street, in traffic.