- Street racer kills innocent driver
- Can you be charged with murder in a car crash?
- Street racing is a major problem
Street racing is a selfish and stupid thing to do. Racing is meant to be done on closed circuits. Racing in an uncontrolled situation is so dangerous that choosing to do it can land you fines and even jail time. When it goes really wrong, like this 20-year-old kid who crashed while street racing and killed another driver, you will be treated like a murderer. The 20-year-old street racer is getting more jail time than he has even been alive.
Dodge Charger Daytona | Stellantis
Street racer kills innocent driver
According to CarScoops, the 20-year-old from Tusla,OK, Miguel Romero, just got sentenced to 30 years in prison for crashing his Dodge Charger into an innocent woman’s car. When the crash happened, Miguel was only 18. It took two years for the sentence to drop, but drop it has – and heavy.
Miguel was street racing his Dodge Charger in October of 2021 when he ran a red light, hitting a Jeep Grand Cherokee with so much force that the Cherokee’s driver, 28-year-old Audreaunna Williams, was killed while her passenger was seriously injured. The Charger hit the Cherokee so hard that both Williams and her passenger were ejected from the car. The Jeep then burst into flames.
Can you be charged with murder in a car crash?
A 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee at a show | Rick Maiman, Bloomberg via Getty Images
A fatal crash due to reckless driving can be tried as manslaughter or murder. Miguel was initially charged with second-degree murder and a DUI, causing great bodily injury. However, the trial that just ended in February found him guilty of first-degree manslaughter but kept the DUI.
The harsh reality of crimes like this is that nothing will bring back the life lost, no matter how intense the sentence is. The family will remain grieved no matter how long he’s in jail. The judge gave Miguel 20 years for the manslaughter charge and another 10 years for the DUI.
The hope with charges and sentencing like this is to send a message to Miguel and anyone else who wants to act a fool on the road.
Street racing is a major problem
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The problem with street racing is that it’s very hard to stop. Not only is it tough to see it happen, but then cops also have to pursue and catch them. The other problem is the folks doing the racing typically believe certain things about their driving skills that give them too much confidence. That confidence, paired with an open roadway, is a recipe for disaster.
Local police departments have their work cut out for them on this front, but they aren’t giving up. In Birmingham, AL, the police are setting up shop at local hot spots for street racing and “exhibitions.”
”We often find meet-up groups that travel throughout the city at high rates of speed, revving engines, doing burnouts and donuts at intersections,” said Sgt. Rodarius Mauldin.
”It’s all fun and games until somebody drives beyond their capabilities and loses control of the vehicle, and that could end somebody’s life or cause grave injury,” he explained.
Street racing is dumb. Please don’t do it.
Keyword: 20-Year-Old Street Racer Gets 30 Years For Fatal Crash