It is illegal and deadly, but teenage drivers still do it – street racing. Last week three South Florida teens died in an alleged street racing car crash, as reported at miamiherald.com. All three teens were passengers in the car driven by a 19-year-old. The driver survived the accident.
Miami-Dade police think the teens were racing with a black Infiniti, which they are still trying to locate. The 19-year-old driver lost control of his Honda Civic and collided with a concrete pole. The impact threw two of passengers from the car. The third passenger remained trapped inside the car. The three passengers died at the scene.
The driver initially fled the accident scene but eventually turned himself into police. Authorities charged him with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident.
This tragedy did not have to happen. Unfortunately, Florida is notorious for its street racing culture. Some street racing contests are spontaneous while racers organize some contests well in advance. Participants use police scanners and GPS equipment to avoid the police.
There is no official database to track deaths from street racing, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that police listed street racing as a factor in 135 fatal accidents in 2001. Hollywood movies and television reality shows glorify the street racing culture.
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida lawyers
