MEMPHIS, Tenn. – People who live along James Road say a double fatal crash caused by fast driving hasn’t stopped the drag racing on the busy street in Frayser.
“You could see two cars racing and then boom,” said Ashley Brooks.
Brooks said the accident back in May was captured on her brother’s surveillance cameras across the street.
There is now a makeshift memorial near the crash site. There are also fresh tire marks where drivers have been doing donuts.
“It is still as bad,” said Brooks. “Street racing late at night. You know, burning tires.”
Paula Harris lives right off James Road and said the sounds of burning rubber wake her up at night. She said the dangerous drivers also make her want to stay off the road.
“When you see them in traffic, you dodge them,” said Harris.
Antonio Chapple’s family owns Skyview Liquors about a mile away at James and North Hollywood. The intersection also has lots of tire marks.
“On the weekends, there is a lot of racing activity; drag racing, donuts,” said Chapple,
He has a birdseye view from his business and says the drag racers are driving away customers.
“They just don’t want to come and deal with the crowds,” he said.
A couple of years ago, Brooks says her cousin was killed while he was drag racing in Memphis. She said the stretch of the roadway might be enticing to drivers, but sooner or later, somebody else is going to get hurt.
“It gives me chill bumps just talking about to this day. If he hadn’t gone street racing, he would be here today,” Brooks said.
Neighbors said it seems like the drag racing and stunt driving along James has gotten much worse over the last year, and they believe something like speed bumps would help.
WREG asked Memphis police about the dangerous driving in the neighborhood, but so far, we have not heard back from them.