Two crashes in three weeks

Street racing groups in the Fargo-Moorhead area are under scrutiny after two high-speed crashes in three weeks. Both involved drivers fleeing law enforcement after leaving large car meet-ups.

The scene has changed

Ben and Zoey Reiswig, who own The Auto Salon in Fargo, say the car scene shifted from cruising and showing off builds to dangerous stunts aimed at social media.

“What used to be about cruising and showing off your build has turned into dangerous stunts for social media.”

Safety at the track

Ben competes at a racetrack in Glyndon, Minnesota, where medical crews and ambulances stand ready. On public streets, there's no safety net when crashes happen.

“People crash, but at the track there are people waiting to rush to you with fire extinguishers and medical equipment and ambulances. Who's going to do that for you on the intersection of 45th and 19th?”

Distancing from the scene

Zoey gave up her brightly colored car because she didn't want to be associated with illegal street racing. Their most-prized car now mostly stays parked unless headed to the track.

“Having a bright colored car, I felt, tied me into that group. I just putz around town to enjoy what I've done to my car and now I don't want to do that.”

Social media fuels the problem

Pages featuring street racing videos claim they don't condone the behavior, but the Reiswigs argue the attention and exposure only encourage more dangerous driving.

A call to accountability

The Reiswigs say recent crashes show a lack of accountability in the scene. They're urging drivers to take racing to sanctioned tracks instead of public streets.

“We're sick of it. We're sick of people dying. I don't think anyone deserves to die, not over cars.”