More than 100 arrests made for dangerous driving and racing during Texas 2K drag racing event

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — In a span of 5 days, the Harris County District Legal professional says greater than 100 folks have been charged with racing their automobiles or reckless driving.

Final week was the annual Texas 2K drag racing occasion that drew a crowd to the Houston space. It’s a authorized occasion held on the Texas Raceway Park in Baytown.

“You may have the authorized occasion, and you’ve got the authorized spectators, after which you have got individuals who cross the road, who’ve the curiosity, but additionally haven’t any regard for the legislation or different folks’s lives,” District Legal professional Kim Ogg mentioned.

Ogg mentioned the difficulty comes from the “spinoffs” of the drag racing occasion that ran from Wednesday to Sunday.

“We noticed racing happening on the highways and on the floor roads of the freeway,” Sgt. Matthew Ham with the Houston Police Division mentioned. “Individuals driving at extraordinarily excessive charges of velocity, doing what’s referred to as ‘fly-bys,’ the place alongside the service highway folks could be lined up, and the automobiles would go by at a excessive charge of velocity. Additionally, we’d see racing the place automobiles would line up, after which they might give a sign to go, after which they might race one another.”

SEE ALSO: HCSO searching for particular person seen on dashcam accused of interfering with avenue takeover investigation

Houston police, the Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace, the Precinct 4 and 5 constable’s places of work, Jersey Village police, and Texas DPS have been on the streets searching for the damaging behaviors.

Along with the 106 folks charged with reckless driving and avenue racing, Sgt. Ham mentioned they arrested about 100 different folks for associated crimes like DUI and lethal conduct.

“It went from the mid a part of the town out to Katy, all the way down to Pearland up in the direction of 99 and 2920, out to Baytown,” Sgt. Ham mentioned.

He additionally mentioned there have been pursuits throughout some makes an attempt to arrest the drivers and about 50 crashes.

“It is rather harmful when you have got supped-up automobiles, and so they’re able to going actually quick, and you’ve got automobiles that may go so quick that they’ve even received parachutes on the again,” Sgt. Ham mentioned.

Ogg mentioned they seized not less than 10 automobiles and plan to file the civil paperwork to take them away completely. She and different legislation enforcement businesses held a press convention earlier this month asserting that they might be cracking down on avenue racing and takeovers.

SEE ALSO: ‘Harmful exercise’ Road takeovers inflicting stressed nights in NW Houston neighborhood

Ogg mentioned she understands that racing might be enjoyable, however it must be finished legally.

The Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, which presents a authorized racing choice, will shut in April.

“I am afraid that the unintended consequence is that we’ll see extra unlawful avenue racing, extra tried parking zone takeovers, and harmless folks killed,” Ogg mentioned.

Whereas folks of all ages are arrested for racing and avenue takeovers, Ogg mentioned they often discover that younger individuals are behind the wheel when there’s a lack of life or critical harm.

“Mother and father can forestall a few of these mindless deaths,” Ogg mentioned. “Shopping for high-powered, high-performance automobiles for individuals who haven’t reached full maturity is only a recipe for catastrophe.”

She mentioned the county has seen a rise in fatalities the place a automobile is used as a weapon. This isn’t an initiative with an finish date.

“Houston is a car-centric city, and we have now nice freeways,” Ogg mentioned. “I do not know that we’ll ever be completed.”

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