Racing on the streets of Houston is not only unsafe. It’s illegal. And at least one driver is now facing serious consequences for a street race gone wrong.
According to The Courier of Montgomery County, a street race near Walden resulted in serious injuries to a man who was doing yard work near the road.
The racers were traveling east on Walden Road when one of the cars lost control. The car left the roadway and struck a man who was using a weed whacker before overturning in a ditch. Both the driver and the passenger of the vehicle were transported to St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The pedestrian was transported to Ben Taub hospital with unspecified injuries.
When the accident happened, the second vehicle did not stop. Police are still trying to determine who was in that vehicle.
Although accidents caused by racing are a problem in this country, the scope of this problem is difficult to grasp. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration only counts accidents as “racing accidents” if at least one person is criminally charged with racing. In many instances, whether there is a lack of evidence or even a hit-and-run situation, no one faces criminal charges even though all parties agree racing was involved. In other words, we don’t know how many actual racing accidents occur each year.
According to a report last year from USA Today, street racing’s popularity surged with the production and release of the recent The Fast and the Furious movies, which glorify the racing culture.
Street races are usually arranged at the last minute and take place in out-of-the-way areas where they are unlikely to be detected. In some cases, however, street races happen in the midst of regular street traffic or within the vicinity of pedestrians, with the possibility of causing serious injury to other drivers and bystanders.
Speed is a common factor cited in accidents, whether racing is involved or not. Traveling at a high rate of speed results in a more significant impact and the potential for serious, life-changing injuries when an accident occurs. When you are involved in an accident like this, you need someone on your side fighting for justice.
Houston Car Accident Attorney
If you are seriously injured in a car accident that isn’t your fault, contact Houston-area car accident lawyer Kevin Krist today. Call 832-924-3186 for a consultation on your case.
