Street racing penalties in Texas are serious. As long as there have been cars there have been people who like to race each other in those cars. Often the races take place on the streets when young people are out cruising in their cars. In Texas racing cars is illegal. The degree of the crime that can be charged depends on the type of activity involved or whether anyone was injured during a race.
If the police simply arrest a citizen for street racing, then he would be charged with a class B misdemeanor which carries a sentence up to 180 days in jail. The offense can be enhanced to a class A misdemeanor if the person charged has one previous conviction for racing, was intoxicated while racing or was in possession of an open container.
A citizen can be charged with a state jail felony if they have had two convictions for racing.
Things become more serious if there is a wreck involved in the race. If any person suffers bodily injury because of the offense of racing the defendant can be charged with a third-degree felony. The injured person doesn’t have to be one of the persons involved in the race. For example, if a pedestrian walking down the street was struck by one of the cars.
An individual can be charged with a second-degree felony if as a result of the race a person is killed or suffers serious bodily injury. A second-degree felony has a penalty range of 2 to 20 years.
If you find yourself charged with this offense consult with an experienced criminal lawyer as soon as possible. This especially true if the offense charged involves a felony. When a person loses their life or suffers serious injuries the case often appears in the news which causes even more challenges for the criminal lawyer.