Drag Race Ends in Police Pursuit

A late night drag race turned into a high-speed chase and landed both participants in jail.

"They were clearly engaged in a race, in a speed contest.  He turned around to stop them.  One of them did stop.  The other did not, it fled the scene, and the officer gave chase to it,” says Lt. Greg Stevens of the Lubbock Police Department.

Police say around 11:30pm Monday, 23 year old Rene Hernandez is the one who stopped; but 19 year old Henry Ramirez is the one who didn't.  The chase finally came to a crashing halt when Ramirez lost control of his car near Elgin and The Loop.

"Fortunately none of them were injured seriously but they were both injured which makes it a more serious offense that he'd committed,” says Lt. Stevens.  Ramirez and his female passenger were taken to the hospital, and have since been released.  However, while his passenger probably went home, Ramirez went to jail.  "The one thing that we want to make sure that the public realizes is that drag racing on a public street is not a ticketable offense.  An officer does not have an option of writing you a ticket if he catches you drag racing.  It can only be dealt with through arrest,” says Lt. Stevens.

Ramirez' opponent, Hernandez, was arrested for racing; which means he could face up to six months in jail.  However, Ramirez was also charged with evading arrest and deadly conduct.  Evading arrest in a car puts him in the felony category.  So Ramirez could be looking at up to 3 ½ years in prison for his pursuit.

"I think a lot of teenagers are ten foot tall and bulletproof, and don't think that kind of collision will happen to them, but it does everyday across the country.   And it eventually will if you continue to engage in that behavior often enough.  The odds are against you,” says Lt. Stevens.

Police say if someone is killed in a drag racing accident, the person responsible could face up to 20 years in prison.