Street racing is wrong. Sideshows or intersection takeovers are wrong. Two wrongs, and you can see where this is going. Police in Pontiac, Michigan, say three people were injured Thursday night—one “gravely,” according to police—when both happened simultaneously with terrifying results. The video was shared on Instagram of the horrific crash involving a Dodge Challenger and two other vehicles. Police identified the two vehicles in a statement to The Drive as a Nissan 350Z and Ford Focus. Police also said the Challenger was reported as stolen from Toledo, Ohio.
The 24-year-old driver of the Challenger, who is from Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, was ejected from the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital, where he’s listed in “grave” condition. The 18-year-old driver of the Ford Focus, who is from Jackson, and the 19-year-old driver of the Nissan, who is from Waterford Township, were also injured. Police said the Jackson man and his passenger were hospitalized and were in “stable” condition. The driver of the Focus was treated at the scene with minor injuries.
In the video, it’s clear that the racing drivers were running red lights, while the driver of the Challenger was attempting to do donuts in the intersection. The crash happens in a split-second, a testament to the speed both drivers were racing at, with undeniably awful results. Police don’t believe alcohol contributed to the cause of the crash, “although reckless driving on the part of all three drivers does appear to be a factor.”
If anyone hasn’t yet gotten the hint, there aren’t many other ways to say it: racing, sideshows, and any asinine or idiotic behavior on public streets is incredibly stupid, dangerous, and potentially even fatal. There is no social media video worth dying for, no street race worth winning if it endangers anyone else—regardless of their circumstances. That the two would collide in such a brutal, graphic way was never an inevitability, but it was surely preventable.
Got a tip? Send it in to tips@thedrive.com