Florida Highway Patrol troopers say two young children, ages 2 and 4, were riding in the back seat of a Dodge Charger as it raced a Dodge Challenger side by side at speeds topping 120 mph on northbound Interstate 75 in Manatee County shortly after midnight on September 5. The driver of the Charger and the driver of the Challenger were both arrested, and the children’s mother, who was riding in the front passenger seat, was also taken into custody.
According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, troopers witnessed the two muscle cars racing side by side before clocking speeds above 120 mph. Florida Highway Patrol troopers later identified the Charger’s driver as 27-year-old Tomas Valencia Ortega of Wesley Chapel and the Challenger’s driver as 27-year-old Joshua Alan York of Brandon, both of whom were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, as reported by Tampa Free Press.
Per the same account, the two vehicles had initially slowed from 100 mph down to 50 mph before the race actually began. That’s when the Charger’s front-seat passenger — identified as the children’s mother — reportedly stuck her arm out the window and signaled a “3, 2, 1 GO” countdown, at which point both cars accelerated past 120 mph with the toddlers still in the back seat.
Felony Charges Follow the Countdown
Valencia Ortega was charged with child neglect in addition to racing-related offenses, while the mother was charged with participating in a street race, the outlet reports. The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident, according to the same report. It remains an open question whether DCF will pursue temporary custody or protective supervision of the two children going forward…