Last month, a man who caused a fatal car crash three years ago in North Carolina pleaded guilty to three counts of involuntary manslaughter. The man was illegally racing another driver when the crash occurred.
According to reports, both drivers were speeding when one of them crashed into a vehicle that was being driven by a 45-year-old woman. The woman and her young daughter were killed in the car accident. A passenger in one of the drag-racer’s vehicles was also killed.
Sadly, many other people have lost loved ones in similar drag-racing accidents around the country. USA Today recently reported that drag racing was a factor in at least four fatal accidents over past two months in the U.S.
Although illegal racing has probably accounted for thousands of unnecessary injuries and deaths over the past few years, statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that fewer than 200 fatalities have resulted from such accidents between 2001 and 2010. An incident cannot be tracked as an illegal drag-racing accident unless police charge at least one individual for racing. For this reason, accident victims and their families often seek help from an attorney after being injured in an accident in which illegal racing is suspected so that victims can try to receive a fair settlement for their injuries and suffering.
Authorities say that illegal drag-racing is often a semi-organized event for folks who own high-performance or modified vehicles. Usually younger drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 are involved in street racing. But drag racing can also occur when folks see a sudden opportunity to race, like being stopped next to another driver at a red light.
When the fatal racing crash happened in North Carolina, authorities reported that two drivers were both stopped at a red light when they decided to race. They were traveling faster than 80 miles per hour when the fatal accident occurred. Both drivers have since been sentenced to serve time in prison for the crash that tragically took the lives of three people.
Source: USA Today, “Illegal drag racing still deadly practice,” Larry Copeland, Sept. 14, 2012