Two young men were killed in what was possibly an illegal street race recently, according to official sources. Three others were injured in the car crash resulting from the alleged drag racing activity.
Witnesses say they did not hear any screeching tires or skidding, which would have indicated the driver tried to stop. They only heard a loud bang, possibly indicating that the driver crashed without even applying the brakes. Other witnesses said a small black car was possibly racing a silver car when its driver lost control and smashed into a minivan head-on. The black car was designed to seat only two people; however, there were three individuals inside the car when it crashed.
Police and other first responders had to use the Jaws of Life to extract the only living person from the car. Fortunately, the individuals in the minivan were only treated for moderate injuries.
Too Fast, Too Furious
Drag racing has been popular for decades and is often depicted as fun and exciting in the movies. Ironically, it was the movie The Fast and the Furious which made its debut in 2001 that set off a firestorm of drag racing. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, there are two types of illegal drag racing: semi-organized, in which youths arrange drag races at clandestine locations using social media like text messaging, Facebook and Twitter; and “moment of opportunity” races in which two individuals find themselves next to each other at a red light and decide to challenge each other. Most of the racers use high-performance or illegally modified cars like the ones in the movies in order to best their opponents.
The normal demographic for drag racers is males between the ages of 16 and 24. USA Today reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration completed a study in which the findings showed 153 people were killed in 122 crashes between the years 2001 and 2010 as a result of drag racing. Statistics are hard to locate when it comes to drag racing because they are only compiled if law enforcement officials charge one of the drivers with drag racing. In many cases, it is the driver who is killed, and no charges are filed.
Have you been injured by someone drag racing, or have you lost a loved one due to drag racing? Even if the driver who was drag racing has been killed, it may be possible to get the compensation you deserve. Let the experienced lawyers of Ashley Injury Lawyers in Roseville examine your case and guide you through this difficult process.
