New Florida law cracks down on street racing

TAMPA, Fla. — A new law goes into effect July 1 that combats street racing and vehicle takeovers. Drivers could face heavy fines, the loss of their driver’s license and possible prison time.

According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, more than 9,200 citations have been issues for street racing or stunt driving between 2018 and 2023.

Some of these races have caused fatal accidents. In early June, Marsha Linda Strickland was killed and her husband was injured when his vehicle was struck by a jogger on North Dale Mabry. The drivers involved in the race now face multiple charges including vehicular manslaughter, unlawful racing, reckless driving, and one driver faces an additional charge of fleeing the scene of a fatal accident.

Strickland’s lifelong friend Joyce McMullen says the loss has been overwhelming.

“She would do anything for anyone, she would help you, and she helped a lot of people,” McMullen said.

She says Strickland and her husband were planning a trip to Niagara Falls in the near future. Now, her husband is recovering from the accident and dealing with the loss of his wife of more than 30 years.

“He’s really going through it. He doesn’t know how to deal with this. He is sitting in a house with nothing but memories,” McMullen said.

McMullen said he is hopeful that the new laws will help reduce street racing. The law increases penalties for racers.

First-time offenders can face a fine of up to $2,000 and loss of their license for up to one year. Repeat offenders could face a third-degree felony and a fine of up to $4,000 if they break the law again within one year of their first conviction and lose their license for two years.

The law also makes it a third-degree felony if someone taking possession of a public road interferes with the movement of an emergency vehicle. The driver can face a fine of $4,000 and a sentence of five years in prison.

“If you have a driver’s license and you’re behind the wheel of a car, it’s a weapon. You must know it. If you don’t know, then you have no business driving a car,” McMullen said.