Street racing has always had a certain attraction, and recently, thanks to reality television portrayals and, of all things, the epidemic, its appeal has expanded. When a pandemic clears the roadways of commuters and leaves furloughed workers with plenty of free time, racing apparently becomes much simpler. Racing provided vehicle addicts with a fun escape and an opportunity to connect. In fact, street racing has a particularly secretive and rebellious culture.
Death From Street Racing
Police and prosecutors have recently noticed the popularity of street racing. They have to take such note; they cannot escape it. Street racing is really risky. It results in several deaths and severe injuries. And not only racers experience major harm or pass away. More than half of racing fatalities in Los Angeles, according to one research, involve someone other than the racers. Additionally, street racing claims the lives of travelers, pedestrians, spectators, and uninvolved drivers who are attempting to use public roads.
Punishing Street Racers
California has a law against street racing, which carries a $1,000 and possibly a 90 day jail sentence. However, depending on the parties involved, other charges, and the specifics of the case, the penalty may change. These factors determine illegal racing:
- You participated in a street race
- It occurred on a highway
- You willfully engaged in a race
- The race was against a motorist or a clock
How can Weather Conditions Lead to Negative results from Racing?
Serious deaths that result from street racing also tends to arise from weather conditions. The roads alter when the weather does. Rainy days have been known to cause car accidents because it makes the roads extremely wet for all types of vehicles. The lack of visibility for drivers under weather conditions can severely result in a unfavorable outcome which is a risk. Conditions such as fog, rain, sleet, snow, and ice not only reduce visibility but can also impair vehicle performance.
Defending Street Racing Involving Death
If there are claims of serious injury, or death related to the street racing accusation, further defenses might be available. Prosecutors in those cases must demonstrate that the damage or death was brought on by street racing. In any case, causation—especially medical causation—can be a crucial factual problem. Many diverse factors, such as the conduct of other drivers or even the wounded person’s own actions or reactions, might result in a vehicle accident. A person’s physical harm or even death can result from a variety of factors, including those unrelated to or even concurrent with a car collision.
A reasonable doubt about the cause of an injury or death must be raised by the defense in order to successfully defend against the increased allegation. When one considers how an increased charge can elevate the penalty from no jail time for a no-injury first offense to as much as twenty years incarceration for a significant injury or death racing offense, it may be well worth it to look into and pursue these defenses.
Call An Experienced Attorney Today
It can be difficult to get to work, to fulfill your obligations, and to live your life while you are facing jail time, license suspension, and vehicle impoundment. The good news is that you can protect against these charges and have them reduced or even dropped. A prosecution must establish a number of crucial facts, as we mentioned above, in order to find you guilty of unlawful street racing. Together with a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer, you can construct your case while analyzing that of the prosecution.