Southwest Florida has seen a rise in the number of illegal street races. Officers and cops in Lee County have already given out more than 80 tickets for illegal street racing.
Now, seven people in Palm Beach County have also been arrested for racing on the street.
On Friday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office gave out 45 tickets, towed seven cars, and arrested seven people between the ages of 16 and 26. Four of them were underage.
One local person says that the sounds of drivers who don’t pay attention are becoming too regular.
Mick Martinez, who sells parts for race cars, said that when Palm Beach International Raceway closed, young people lost a safe place to go.
Martinez said, “Any kid could go drive their car, have fun, and learn everything they needed to know about safety to run a quarter-mile drag race. All of that is gone now.”
Martinez said that this has sent young people into the streets and given his business a bad name.
“They hurt people who don’t deserve it. “Some of the spectators have been hurt when they fall out of their cars or get hit by one,” Martinez said.
Friday, PBSO said that 18 bystanders were also given tickets.
In the last four years, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said that 6,641 tickets were given for street racing/stunt driving, which is a first-degree misdemeanor, or for openly watching it.
Since there are a lot of illegal street races in southwest Florida, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has set up a task team to stop them.
