1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

Illegal street racing is stupid and dangerous, especially in this era of sanctioned "run what ya brung" nights at drag strips all over the country. The problem with street racing isn't just that some participants have even less skill than they have brains. It's that the environment is uncontrolled. At a drag strip, there are safety and emergency crews standing by, and there isn't any other traffic.

The same can't be said for public roads. Which is why a street race between a 1998 Camaro and a fourth-generation Mustang ended when another car pulled into traffic. The result: All three cars totaled, no fatalities (those in the Mustang suffered serious injuries), and jail time for the participants.

The YouTube description indicates that the owner spent 120 days in jail and had to put in 100 hours of community service, plus two years probation. The Mustang driver spent six months in prison.

Street racing looks fun. It's tempting to try to dust a rival in a stoplight-to-stoplight shootout. But why risk death or imprisonment when you can spend a small amount of cash to race on a real drag strip?

These racers escaped with their lives, but those same lives were irrevocably changed and their cars were totaled. It's just not worth it.

Warning: Video includes some NSFW language.

[Mustang Evolution via Jalopnik]