Street race kills innocent driver

A 21-year-old woman was killed in Westminster when a street racer collided with her vehicle on Sunday, police said.

According to the Westminster Police Department, two men were arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. Suspects Shimpson Huynh, 30, and Adrian Lau, 21, remained on the scene and cooperated, officials said.

Denver7 reports that Huynh is a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Police say they first responded to the two-vehicle crash at the intersection of 105th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard Sunday evening. An investigation revealed two vehicles were racing southbound on Sheridan Boulevard. The woman was driving north on Sheridan Boulevard, turning left onto 105th Avenue. Huynh’s car struck the side of the woman’s car. The other racer avoided contact.

Accident investigators determined speed was a factor, and they said the racing speeds were excessive.

A witness and an officer performed CPR on the woman until rescue units arrived, police say. She was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

The woman’s identity has yet to be released by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. Officials throughout the city have been trying to curb an increase in street racing. In 2021 alone, a task force that the Westminster Police Department partners with has worked 3,344 hours making over 1,000 contacts and issuing 829 summonses regarding street racing.

The North Metro Speed Enforcement Group, which WPD is also a part of, made nine arrests and issued 226 summons between May and August.

Officials also established the website reportstreetracing.com, which has counted 113 reports in Westminster. Through Monday, police say that Westminster dispatch has received 213 calls associated with street racing in 2021.

“With all of the agencies in Adams County sharing street racing information and having officers from all agencies involved in enforcement, we were able to show the car clubs they are constantly be (sic) watched and their behavior will not be tolerated in our city,” WPD said in a release.

“We understand the frustration this illegal activity causes and the extreme danger it poses and we will continue to work hard on this problem.”