Deadly Street Racing in Los Angeles as a Side Effect of Hollywood Films

Fast and Furious 8 was a huge success this year. The new street racing movie starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Vin Diesel and other A-listers grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, setting a new global debut record in the process.

Given that the average ticket price was $10, it means that over 120 million people saw the film. Some of them were not impressed, others were probably so hyped up and gripped to the edge of their seats that they thought, “Damn, I want to try that in real life!”

And given that many installments of the iconic franchise were filmed throughout Los Angeles, from Downtown to Malibu, it’s no wonder why people are taking their super cars, BMW's and even old rusty cars to the streets of Los Angeles to compete for speed.

This was the case earlier this month, when street racing on Lassen Street in North ridge, Los Angeles, killed four people. The incident occurred about 11 p.m. Friday, when the driver of a BMW lost control of the car while speeding alongside a sedan.

The former hit a light pole before crashing into a tree near Balboa Boulevard, killing all four occupants, two men seated in the front and two women in the backseat.

How bad is street racing in Los Angeles?

But Angelenos rarely learn from the mistakes of fellow residents of Los Angeles. More than a week later, a suspected street racing incident killed other two people in a fiery crash in Long Beach.

The fiery collision occurred Saturday night near Queens Way and caused one of the two cars involved in the car accident to catch fire.

Given that the first street racing incident and the second suspected street racing accident occurred on Friday and Saturday night respectively, it’s safe to assume that drivers may have had one too many before getting behind the wheel.

Alcohol as a major factor in street racing accidents

Fact: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that car accident fatalities involving drunk driving account for nearly one-third of all traffic-related deaths in our country.

Fact #2: every day, approx. 28 people in the U.S. die in car accidents that involve an alcohol-impaired driver.

Unfortunately, street racing and alcohol go together just as good as watching a sports game and drinking beer.

Drivers that choose to compete for speed on the streets of Los Angeles or in other parts of California tend to have a drink or two (or more) to alleviate fear and boost their adrenaline. Or so they think.

In reality, what they boost is their chances of killing themselves, passengers in their car and those sharing the streets of Los Angeles at the time of the street racing incident.

Street racing alone is dangerous, but street racing under the influence of alcohol is a sure-fire way to get yourself killed.

What to do if you got into street racing accident?

If you were involved in a car accident due to a street racing competition on the streets of Los Angeles, seek the legal advice of a Los Angeles car accident attorney immediately.

The litigation process in street racing claims can be exhaustive, which is why it’s recommended to consult an experienced car accident lawyer to represent you in court in your best interests and obtain compensation for your injuries, damages and losses.

If you were caught in a street racing, whether pre-arranged or spontaneous, and are facing serious criminal offenses, hiring an attorney would be your first and best line of defense.

Contact a car accident attorney at JML Law, a legal firm that has navigated hundreds of multi-car accident claims in the past 35 years, by calling their Los Angeles offices at 818-835-5735 or sending an email for a free case evaluation.