GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A 17-year-old is in a Gwinnett County jail after police say he caused a crash that injured another driver while racing at speeds over 120 miles an hour, then left the hurt man behind.
The Gwinnett County Police Department says the crash happened before sunrise Thursday on Interstate 985 near Woodward Mill Road in Buford.
Two cars were racing, according to arrest warrants, when one of them caused a crash that injured a man who had nothing to do with the race, according to police spokesperson.
That man suffered broken bones, the warrants say.
Police identified the driver who hit him as Engerberth Mejia Rivera. Warrants say he was behind the wheel of a 2013 BMW racing a 2013 Infiniti, and that the two reached around 121 miles an hour on a stretch where the limit is 70.
After the crash Mejia Rivera allegedly did not stop to help and left the scene.
By Friday, officers had charged him and booked him into the Gwinnett County Jail.
He faces eight charges in all, including two felonies: hit-and-run resulting in serious injury and serious injury by vehicle.
A judge denied bond on both, citing a risk of flight. The remaining charges, all misdemeanors, range from reckless stunt driving to speeding to driving without a valid license.
“We got a whole bunch of new generations coming up, getting licenses, and just out here having a good time. I mean, not a good time for us,” driver Karyn Gordon said.
The case echoes a deadly crash the county saw earlier this year. Back in March, police say two drivers were racing on Breckinridge Boulevard near Lawrenceville when one car flew off the road and into a tree, killing one driver.
Cpl. Angela Carter, speaking after that March crash, said racing keeps pulling young drivers in despite what it can cost.
“Racing can seem thrilling, but it is very reckless and completely selfish,” Carter said.
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