In the past, this blog has detailed the dangers of street racing at length. For instance, two men died and one woman was critically injured this summer in Summerlin when a car that was believed to be street racing ran off the roadway, struck a palm tree, and then rolled over on its side. And now, authorities in Las Vegas say that street racing may have been a factor in a deadly crash that took place last week.

On Friday night shortly after 9:15pm, a 1999 Acura Integra was traveling north on Maryland Parkway just past I-515 (about a mile south of Cashman Field). Prior to the intersection with Bonanza Road, the driver lost control and slammed into a light pole in the center median. The three occupants of the Integra, all of whom were 21-year old men, were rushed to University Medical Center. One of the men who was a passenger in the car later died of his injuries. Officials believe that the car may have been street racing at the time of the auto accident.

Unless the Integra was actively run off the road by another vehicle, the 21-year old driver will probably be held fully responsible for the crash, the injury to the surviving passenger, and the death of the other passenger. That means that the driver could be named as the defendant both in a personal injury lawsuit filed by the surviving passenger and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family members of the deceased passenger.