17-Year-Old Street Racer Hits Driver, Then Drives Away. He Faces Eight Charges
A man driving on Interstate 985 before sunrise had no idea he was about to become a casualty of someone else's race. A 17-year-old driver, allegedly going 121 mph in a 70 mph zone while racing another car, crashed into him, broke his bones, and then left him on the highway without stopping to help.
What happened
The Gwinnett County Police Department says the crash happened before sunrise Thursday, June 11, on Interstate 985 near Woodward Mill Road in Buford. Two cars were racing, according to arrest warrants, when one of them caused a crash that injured a man who had nothing to do with the race. That man suffered broken bones, the warrants say.
Police identified the driver who hit him as Engerberth Mejia Rivera. Warrants say he was behind the wheel of a 2013 BMW racing a 2013 Infiniti, and that the two reached around 121 miles an hour on a stretch where the limit is 70. After the crash, Mejia Rivera allegedly did not stop to help and left the scene.
The charges
By Friday, officers had charged him and booked him into the Gwinnett County Jail. He faces eight charges in all, including two felonies: hit-and-run resulting in serious injury and serious injury by vehicle. A judge denied bond on both, citing a risk of flight. The remaining charges, all misdemeanors, range from reckless stunt driving to speeding to driving without a valid license.
The ‘driving without a valid license’ charge underscores just how unauthorized this 17-year-old was to be behind the wheel in the first place, let alone racing another vehicle at highway speeds nearly double the posted limit.
A pattern in Gwinnett County
This crash is not an isolated event. Gwinnett County has dealt with a string of serious street racing incidents this year. In March, an 18-year-old was charged with vehicular homicide after a street race on Breckinridge Boulevard in Duluth ended with another driver crashing into a tree and dying at the scene. That same month, prosecutors pursued homicide charges against an 18-year-old in a separate Lawrenceville street racing crash that killed a 28-year-old driver, a case where the defense argued the charges may have been an overreach given how briefly the racing occurred before the fatal crash.
These repeated incidents have pushed local officials toward tougher enforcement. Gwinnett County has implemented an ordinance allowing police to impound vehicles involved in street racing for up to 30 days, a clear signal that the county is treating this as an escalating public safety problem rather than a series of isolated bad decisions by individual drivers.
Why this crash matters beyond the charges
What makes this case particularly significant is that the injured man had no connection to the race whatsoever. He was simply driving on a public interstate when two other drivers turned that road into something resembling a closed racetrack, at speeds that left no margin for error and no ability for him to react.
Street racing crashes carry a distinct legal weight compared to ordinary traffic accidents because the conduct involved is not merely careless, it is a deliberate choice to engage in a high-speed contest on a public roadway. Courts and prosecutors tend to treat that distinction seriously, which is reflected in the felony charges Mejia Rivera now faces. Leaving the scene afterward compounds the legal exposure significantly, since hit-and-run statutes exist precisely to ensure injured victims get prompt medical attention and at-fault drivers don't evade accountability simply by driving away.
What this means for the victim
For the man recovering from broken bones, the criminal case against Mejia Rivera is only one avenue toward accountability. A civil claim for his injuries, medical costs, and pain and suffering would not depend on the outcome of the criminal proceedings, and the documented evidence of street racing at 121 mph would serve as powerful evidence of negligence in any such claim. If the other racing driver in the Infiniti also bears responsibility under Georgia's racing statutes, the victim may have grounds to pursue claims against that driver as well.
If you have been injured by a driver engaged in street racing or reckless driving, the independent attorneys we connect you with can help you understand your legal options and pursue full compensation for what you have lost.
For more articles like this, visit our News Page.
Tell us about your accident & get a free consultation now
Advertising is paid for by participating attorneys in a joint advertising program, licensed to practice law in their respective states. A complete list of joint advertising attorneys can be found here. You can request an attorney by name. We are not a law firm or an attorney referral service. This advertisement is not legal advice and is not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of your legal matter. Every case is different. The outcome depends on the laws, facts, and circumstances unique to each case. Hiring an attorney is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertising. Request free information about your attorney's background and experience. This advertising does not imply a higher quality of legal services than that provided by other attorneys. This advertising does not imply that the attorneys are certified specialists or experts in any area of law. No legal services will be provided unless a signed agreement between the client and the attorney exists. We use cookies to personalize content and to analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our analytics partners, who may combine it with other information you've provided or collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.
