A driver participating at high speed in a clandestine race he took the life of Raymond Olivares in February 2023.
“It’s not fair, it’s not fair, what happened just for doing those races, for them going through the streets with their cars doing races,” laments his mother, Gloria Dolores Suárez.
The accident happened in his neighborhood in Compton, right in front of his house.
Raymond Olivares’s mother knows that she can no longer hug her son. María de Jesús Rivas Cruz, who was the fiancee of this young man who lost his life at the age of 27, shares that same reality.
A Hispanic engineer was the fatality of the underground races in Compton.
He also has to deal with physical blows, fractures and brain hemorrhage caused by the impact.
“Physically, I feel like it every day and I feel better every day. Emotionally no”, says Rivas Cruz. “She is already hitting me more and more. I miss him a lot.”
The future of both was cut short in a few minutes.
“The two of them worked for their dream, to grab their house and their dream was cut short in a second,” says Suárez.
Community members like Cindi Paola Enamorado, sister of Raymond Olivares, are tired of these criminal acts and have become a voice for justice. They support stricter laws.
“I think they only think about their little bit of fun but they don’t think about the damage they are going to cause their own parents,” says Enamorado. “Because a father does not want to go to jail to see his son.”
The offices of the Highway Patrol (CHP) office, at certain hours, cannot cope with the calls they receive for this type of incident.
“Sometimes they call because a tragedy has just happened and they need assistance with the accidents,” says Susana Carrilo, a CHP dispatcher.
In 2021 alone, the CHP responded to more than 7,300 submissions of ilegal races.
The authorities emphasize that these activities result in other types of incidents such as crashes and shootings. Children have even been seen attending these events.
“If some tragedy occurs, it is something that should not have happened,” says Carrillo. “And yes, it is very sad that someone innocent or not innocent gets hurt or killed for something like that.”
Measures against illegal races
In California, it is a violation of the law to participate in, organize, or simply be in such illegal races. This brings consequences.
Recent figures from the LAPD indicate that residents made up to 20,000 reports of illegal takeovers between 2020 and 2022. And while there was a 36% decrease last year, certain areas are still affected more than others.
That is why law enforcement agencies have come together to prevent more people from being injured or killed in illegal street takeovers.
“What the public never sees, right? (is) a dead person that obviously affects us at such a level,” said California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Roberto Gomez.
“But we see it so often and when it’s 100% preventable, that’s what’s hard.”
The CHP has seen clashes in over 260 illegal street takeovers in a 5 year period. 30 of these accidents had fatal results.
The CHP’s combat racing unit is using a thermal imaging system with a special aircraft to spot participating vehicles from the air.
The problem has been escalating in Los Angeles County. Due to the high number of street seizures, Compton it has been cataloged as the mecca of these illegal acts.
Mayor Emma Sharif has heard about the impacts these are having on her city at community hearings. Frustration admits, it is not for less.
“To prevent seizures from happening, we are going to use all available tools,” said the mayor.
“We are going to continue installing the buffers where they are requested because although they are not completely stopping them, according to the sheriff, they are effective in reducing them. We are also working with tactical teams from different cities and we are going to continue with that.”
Compton residents are concerned about the spate of vandalism and looting that followed after drag racing this weekend. The authorities are investigating the facts.
Legal consequences for offenders
In addition to the danger that car movements pose to those present, bystanders would also face citations.
In California, it is a violation of the law to participate in, organize, or simply be in such illegal races. This brings consequences.
“Towing the vehicle that lately what is going to affect your pocket,” says officer Gomez. “Hopefully 30 days in a trailer yard, paying upwards of $2,000 every time that happens (makes them think).”
Lieutenant Jesse Garcia works in the combat racing unit for the Los Angeles Police Department. He points out that they collaborate with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to suspend the departures of those who are surprised at these shows.
“Like let’s say, last year coming to the end of the year we had here at the Los Angeles core team over 500 arrests about this activity,” Garcia said. “We seized almost 500 cars.”
The officer assures that the problem began in 2015. Now the LAPD has up to 4 specialized teams in the 4 command areas of the city.
“And we are looking for legislators to help us change those laws,” says Lt. Garcia.
“One of the ideas is higher bail, more penalties, removing vehicles from the road in a way that takes away the instrument they use to commit these crimes.”
For now, according to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the barriers installed at the intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and Polk Street in Sylmar appear to be doing well.
“If you’re thinking of getting into this activity don’t do it, go to the race track, do it legally,” Garcia says.
