Street racing has existed in some form since the first automobiles came off the assembly line over a century ago. During prohibition, bootleggers would make modifications to their vehicles to make them better able to outrun law enforcement. This gave birth to the popular sport of NASCAR. In the late 1990s, street racing saw an exponential increase in popularity with the release of the first movie in the Fast and Furious franchise. However, street racing is illegal in almost every jurisdiction in the United States. According to Insurify, Florida ranked number 9 in the top 10 states according to the number of citations issued for street racing. Virginia ranked in at number 1.
WFLA reports that two teens have been arrested for their roles in a Christmas night crash in Lakeland that sent nine people to the hospital.
Polk County Deputies say that two teenagers, 18-year-old Alexis Madrigal and an unnamed 17-year-old male, were racing down Cherry Lane. They both crashed into a truck, and then into a tree at the Lunn Road intersection.
The two teens were speeding at 103 miles per hour where the speed limit is 35 m.p.h.
Both teens are facing several charges, including counts of reckless driving with serious bodily injury. Both vehicles were carrying multiple passengers at the time of the crash.
One of the victims is still hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury.
The driver of the pickup truck was arrested on suspicion of DUI but was not deemed to have been at fault for the accident.