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2 men accused of street racing on Florida Turnpike
Two men were arrested for allegedly street racing on the Florida Turnpike over the weekend. Orange County deputies arrested Luis Alejandro Lozano-Figueroa and Mario Alberto Paz-Gil early Sunday morning after their car was clocked going 199 mph, officials said.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Two men were arrested for allegedly street racing on the Florida Turnpike over the weekend.
Orange County deputies arrested Luis Alejandro Lozano-Figueroa, 20, and Mario Alberto Paz-Gil, 19, early Sunday morning after their car was clocked going 199 mph, officials said.
Shortly after 1 a.m., the Orange County Sheriff's Office said it began receiving calls from residents in the area of Lake Mary Jane and Moss Park roads about several vehicles involved in street racing and street takeovers.
A red Chevrolet Camaro and a black vehicle were spotted drag racing side by side, an arrest affidavit said.
The Camaro then traveled south on the Turnpike where deputies said it reached a top speed of 199 mph in a 70 mph zone.
The driver, later identified as Lozano-Figueroa, was arrested on a charge of racing on a highway. Paz-Gil was arrested for knowingly riding as a passenger during street racing on a highway, the affidavit stated. Both were booked into the Osceola County jail.
A 16-year-old passenger of the Camaro was released to their mother.
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'Then boom!': Corvette ripped apart after street racing
The driver of a Corvette who was allegedly street racing another vehicle was taken to the hospital over the weekend after losing control of his vehicle, crashing into a power pole, and then flipping multiple times, according to FHP. The photos of the scene show the vehicle ripped apart with the seats, engine, and other debris scattered near what appears to be a storage facility. A witness who heard the crash spoke with FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte about what he saw.
In 2023, OCSO made 157 arrests, issued 1,290 citations and seized 54 vehicles related to dangerous and illegal street racing.
"This isn't the first operation we've done, and it certainly won't be the last," the sheriff's office said in a social media post. "We have ZERO TOLERANCE for street racing here in Orange County."
Racing on streets and highways, street takeovers, and stunt driving are unlawful, according to Florida law. The law also bans unsanctioned drag racing, drifting, wheelies, burnouts, and donuts.
The activities can endanger the community and could prohibit law enforcement and first responders from providing aid in actual emergency and non-emergency events.
Between 2018 and 2023, nearly 9,000 citations were issued across the state for either street racing or stunt driving, which are first-degree misdemeanors, according to data presented on the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' website. The majority of those citations were handed out to younger people.
If you encounter street racing, stunt driving or street takeovers in your community, you're asked to remain calm, don't engage, safely pull over on the side of the road (if possible) and report it by calling the Florida Highway Patrol at *347 or 911.