Drag race ends teenager’s life

A teenager engaged in a drag race in Brooksville, Florida with a friend died in a car accident resulting from reckless behavior last week. The tragic accident occurred at approximately 6 p.m., on a two lane rural road which connects State Road 50 and Mondon Hill Road.

The two teenagers raced their vehicles at high speed side by side. Both cars were 1994 Honda Civics. One of the drivers, however, veered from the left to the right lane as they came close to oncoming traffic. This caused his vehicle to strike the front of his friend’s vehicle, and then both cars to spun clockwise and traveled off the road.

The boy driving the car that got hit died after his car smashed into a tree. His friend who was the driver who swerved survived, despite crashing into another tree. He exited the vehicle and allegedly ran from the scene before state troopers arrived. Witnesses at the crash gave his name to officers from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Police investigators are continuing their investigation into the incident. Tire marks at the scene of the accident are approximately 20 yards long. The surviving young man may face criminal charges after the investigation is concluded.

The drag racing incident was particularly dangerous and reckless as the both of the cars necessarily occupied both lanes of the narrow road in order to race side by side. This situation made a confrontation with oncoming traffic very likely, if not inevitable. The surviving teenager has suffered not only the loss of his good friend, but the possibility of a criminal prosecution which could ruin his future.

Source: Tampa Bay Online, “Brooksville teen dies in drag racing accident,” Tony Holt, Feb. 10, 2012