Officials Suspect Fatal Los Angeles Car Accident Was Caused by Street Racing
A driver who police say may have been street racing in South Los Angeles was killed in a car accident in Gramercy Park early on Sept. 27. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, police say the 29-year-old man was speeding in the 9300 block of South Western Avenue when he slammed into a parked van. The man was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Crash Captured on Camera
Police say this fatal crash occurred as the result of a street race. A black, four-door sedan was seen speeding alongside the man’s vehicle. The driver of that vehicle fled the scene after the crash, officials said. Video from a home security camera across the street captured the violent crash. A silver Mazda can be seen speeding into view before slamming head-on into a parked white van.
Seconds later, a black sedan speeds past the crash. The homeowner who provided that video to ABC Channel 7 told the news outlet that dangerous driving is common in the neighborhood. South Los Angeles has long been a problem area for street racing, officials said. In a one-year period from July 2016 to July 2017, the California Highway Patrol recorded almost 700 street racing accidents in Los Angeles County.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased victim of this horrific crash. We offer our deepest condolences to them
Speed Laws in California
Racing on a public roadway is against the law. California Vehicle Code section 23109 (a) states: “A person shall not engage in a motor vehicle speed contest on a highway. As used in this section, a motor vehicle speed contest includes a motor vehicle race against another vehicle, a clock, or other timing device.
California Vehicle Code Section 22350 (Basic Speed Law) states: “No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic and on surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.”
In such cases, an experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer will be able to remain on top of the investigation and help ensure that the family’s legal rights and best interests are protected. They may be able to obtain compensation for their losses from the uninsured motorist clause of their own auto insurance policy when the driver has not been identified or when the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.
Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-27/driver-killed-in-possible-street-racing-death