DAYTON — Video of suspected street racing on Patterson Boulevard in Dayton last week has police warning anyone who is thinking about doing it in the city.
“The driver in that specific case was charged with illegal street racing as well as failure to control the vehicle,” said Dayton Police Traffic Services Sgt. Gordon Cairnes. “Most insurance companies aren’t going to help you on your claims.”
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The crash happened downtown around 8:15 p.m. on April 10. Video shows people lined up the street as at least two drivers lineup to race in the 700 block of South Patterson.
“It’s just asking for trouble,” Cairnes said.
The video, obtained by News Center 7, showed the drivers burning out and speeding toward downtown before one of the drivers lost control and smashed into a pole. The crash also damaged two other vehicles in a parking lot.
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A Dayton crash report identified the driver of the Dodge Viper as Jeremy Kennedy, 40, of Springfield. Kennedy was cited for drag racing and failure to control, according to court records.
Dayton police said the crash stemmed from a car show at a nearby business.
“Some bad actors get involved,” Cairnes said.
Cairnes said the city does try to combat drag racing in the city by placing speed bumps in areas known to have street racing. The department also uses photo enforcement to potentially charge someone later if their is photo evidence of a crime being committed, he said.