Police on Thursday announced arrests made in connection to street racing in San Jose. Damian Trujillo reports.
Police on Thursday announced an arrest made in connection to street racing in San Jose.
Officers this year are working to crack down on the illegal drag races, which are usually organized on Sunday nights. The most recent race was reported Saturday night.
SJPD Officer Patrick Baldassari responded to a call of drag races along a straight away on Holger Way in North San Jose.
Police were surprised to find the suspected racers were both women -- 23-year-old Elizabeth Galatolo of San Mateo and 22-year-old Laura Hart of Pinole.
Galatolo, who fled the scene in a Corvette z06, was arrested the following day at her home after police obtained a $100,000 arrest warrant charging her with reckless driving, participating in an unlawful speed contest and evading an officer.
Hart was cited at the scene of the suspected race after surrendering to officers. She was cited for reckless driving, participating in an unlawful speed contest and her Pontiac G8 was impounded.
Both women face thousands of dollars in fines and impound fees.
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"When we conduct these investigations, and we stop these racers, we don't usually see two women driving the vehicles involved in street racing," Baldassari said.
Video of the race was posted on YouTube by a group called Bay Area Racing. The group said no one should be surprised at who was behind the wheels from the most recent race, adding that there are many female racers.
The Bay Area Racing group also said Saturday's drag race will be featured in an upcoming movie they are making.
In January, NBC Bay Area reported on the proliferation of street racing in San Jose and the dangers it was creating, including the risk it creates for both the racers and many other innocent drivers and pedestrians.
"When they're driving at high rates of speeds on roads that should not be taken very fast -- they are endangering a lot of innocent people by participating in illegal street racing," Baldassari said.
Bay Area Racing is pushing for a venue where people can race legally and safely.
