Last month, two 16-year-old Cincinnati girls were in the wrong place at the wrong time as Butler Tech high school dismissed classes. According to police reports, as the 16-year old driver and her passenger were riding in a Jeep Cherokee on Ohio 4 near Allison Road, the girls were rapidly approached from behind by two vehicles involved in a drag race.

The drag racing vehicles, an Acura Integra and a Porsche, zoomed up to the Jeep from behind. Both the Porsche and the Acura were driven by teenage male students at Butler Tech. Law enforcement officials believe the vehicles were traveling in excess of 80 mph in a 55 mph zone.

The Jeep struck the Acura, sending the Acura into a spin that caused it to roll into the Jeep. Fortunately, the passengers of the Jeep were wearing their seat belts at the time of the car accident. Fairfield Police Chief Richard St. John said, "If the two girls had not been wearing their seat belts we probably would have had at least one fatality."

Although there were no fatalities resulting from this accident, both of the girls in the Jeep needed to be hospitalized. The driver of the Jeep was taken to Atrium Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. The passenger needed to be taken to Cincinnati Children's hospital with serious injuries. It is reported she suffered head injuries, including a laceration to her scalp and a broken nose.

In cases involving this type of reckless behavior resulting in injuries, it is common to see both criminal charges and a personal injury lawsuit filed. Since the time of the accident, the drivers of the drag racing vehicles have been charged with crimes including drag racing, vehicular assault, and leaving the scene of an accident. In addition to criminal charges, the drivers may also face a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for the girls who were injured as a result of their drag racing.

Source: Cincinnati.com, "Police: Drag racing led to Ohio 4 rollover crash," 2/18/2011