2 cars were racing at 92 mph through busy Gwinnett intersection, police say. Now, 1 driver is dead

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Police said a street racer is facing homicide charges in a deadly crash that left one person dead and another hurt.

Other instances of street racing like this one have been an issue Channel 2 Action News has been covering for years.

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Channel 2′s Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson was on Sugarloaf Parkway Tuesday, where the deadly race happened in the middle of the day on June 13.

Police said that around 1:30 p.m., 21-year-old Bryan Ramirez was going 92 mph while racing another vehicle when he crashed into a 73-year-old man’s car at the intersection of Sugarloaf and Lawrenceville Highway.

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Phillip Brooks, 28, died at the scene. Police said Ramirez was racing Brooks’ car. The 73-year-old man, who was in a third car, was not injured.

“It’s always dangerous to street race, but it’s especially dangerous during those high traffic times,” Sgt. Michele Pihera with the Gwinnett County Police Department said. “When people engage in street racing, not only are they putting themselves at risk, but they’re putting other motorists at risk too.”

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Sunny Malhotra is a local car enthusiast who said he used to organize car meet-ups and races for a group called “Gwinnett Meet.”

“When we do it, we do it properly,” Malhotra said. “We go to race tracks. We do it properly, where it’s safe and everyone can enjoy it.”

Malhotra said police asked him last year to stop hosting events due to a rise in street racing, but he said bringing them back could actually make streets safer.

“They know they can come up here. They’re not going to get kicked out by local authorities. And the authorities know where everyone is at the same time as well,” Malhotra said.

Ramirez, who was also injured in the crash, is facing vehicular homicide charges. He has still not been booked into jail.

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