Street racing in real life isn’t fun like you’re the main character in a Fast & Furious movie. It poses significant risks of bodily injuries and death.
reported on the reckless street racer who was trying to flee from officers in Ogden last week.
A Honda Civic was speeding through the streets and caused a terrible four-car crash on Saturday night around 9:30 pm.
The police officers signaled for the speeding car to stop. Instead of stopping, the Honda tried to flee. It ran two red lights.
The second red light was at a busy Ogden intersection, where four cars collided together.
The driver has been arrested for an injury accident, reckless driving, and exhibition driving.
A police officer stated in an affidavit that the Honda "took off at a high rate of speed from a group of cars" and "appeared to be showing off for the other vehicles and racing."
The Honda had a passenger, who was also 18 years old. He suffered from a concussion and a large gash to his chin.
The officer spoke with the passenger, who struggled to remember the conversation they were having, as they were having it. This concussion plus serious forms of disfigurement from the crash will have long-lasting consequences if he survives them.
Multi-vehicle crashes are very dangerous, and a lot of the time there are fatalities involved. Street racing only increases those numbers.
MORE:How Are States Trying to Stop Drivers From Street Racing?
Different states are trying to combat street racing in different ways. Some states like New York are introducing legislation to monitor nighttime racing better.
Others, like Colorado, are straight-up trying to provide safe areas for racing, in the hopes of at least preventing innocent people from getting hurt.
Police cars chasing fleeing street racers also poses a public safety issue as it may cause more accidents. Those who seek the adrenaline rush from racing aren’t about to yield to the police so easily.
Washington has enacted laws to improve police accountability that may reduce crashes from high-speed chases. Time will tell how effective they can be.
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Does car insurance cover street racing accidents?
This depends on what your role is in the accident. A bystander in the open, a vehicle parked on the side, and a racer in the race all will have different options.
A standard auto insurance coverage usually refuses to cover anything street-racing related if you’re the reckless driver. That means you would have to sue the racer for damages.
If you’re not involved in illegal racing, your insurance may accept your filed claims.
As always, it’s good to check with your insurance company on what situations they may cover. Comprehensive insurance is usually the way to go as it is, well, comprehensive.
If you’re thinking of getting an insurance upgrade,