2 Washington D.C. Police Officers Accused of Street Racing
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
Street racing is on the rise during the pandemic because of the empty streets. Not only is street racing dangerous, if you’re caught speeding, you’ll see a fine and higher
car insurance
rates. You might think that it’s only a few random people that are driving recklessly, but two police officers from D.C. were charged for racing. As reported by the
Washington Post
, a current and former D.C. officer were accused of racing two marked cruisers that ended up crashing
on a residential street.
Consequences for the officers accused of street racing
According to the Washington Post, both Humias Khan and Jerrita Millington were given
citations
and charged with three traffic violations. Khan was an officer on probation and he was fired after the incident. Millington was suspended, and two other officers that were in the car are also on suspended duty and under investigation.
The violations include aggravated reckless driving to cause bodily harm and property damage. A body-camera that one of the passengers turned on showed both Ford Taurus model cruisers reaching almost 50 mph within two-tenths of a mile before they crashed into each other. One of them spun and hit a fence.
Typically, the speed limits on residential streets are 25 mph. D.C. Police Chief, Robert J. Contee III said this incident was "embarrassing."
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How much damage did the street racing cause?
Police estimated that both vehicles suffered thousands of dollars in damages; one at around $9,800 and the other at almost $12,000. The impact of the crash caused the airbags in both of the vehicles to deploy.
The passengers in the car were injured on their heads, legs, and arms. Khan suffered from burns and cuts on his arm, and Millington had back pain and a headache. Thankfully, this incident was not fatal, but it has certainly set a bad example for other drivers that are keen on street racing.
More help from state officials are needed to curb street racing
This isn’t the only incident where drivers were injured after a street race, and traffic deaths in general increased in 2020. Street racing isn’t only dangerous for the drivers and passengers, but also innocent pedestrians on the road.
Policymakers across states like Colorado, Arizona, and New York are trying to curb street racing in different ways. Denver, Colorado is hoping that creating a legal space for racing will help drivers itch their need for speed without endangering themselves and others.
Arizona and New York are working on legislation for harsher penalties and more monitoring to reduce street racing. Racing illegally is not worth it. On the other hand, you’ll be rewarded for having safe driving habits.
You can ask your insurance company whether they have discounts for safe drivers. In addition, you can use
Jerry
, a free AI-powered insurance broker, to compare rates for you from 45 top companies. Use the app to save money on car insurance.
