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'Someone is going to get hurt or get killed' | Concerns rise over illegal street racing

Brandi Birrittier hopes her story stops a potential street racer from getting behind the wheel.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some Charlotte neighborhoods are concerned about safety because of the growing illegal street racing activity taking place on their streets. The residents want more done to get reckless drivers off the road.

“My biggest concern is that someone is going to get hurt or get killed,” Jennifer Zucker, a southwest Charlotte resident, said.

Street racing is a misdemeanor that could lead to fines and jail time in North Carolina. However, the fact that it's illegal isn't stopping some folks from engaging in it. Zucker is fed up with people driving recklessly in his area.

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“They’re out there at 10 o’clock at night, sometimes around midnight, and they are up and down Moss Road," Zucker shared. "They are up and down Westinghouse Boulevard and South Tryon Street. Even some of the teenagers, the young people are directing traffic so the street racers can race."

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“It seems like, after the pandemic and with people getting back on the road ... people forgot how to drive,” she continued. “They have no care in the world when it comes to running a stop sign, running a red light or making a left on red. I see it all the time.”

Brandi Birrittier knows the dangers of street racing firsthand. Her 6-year-old son Liam was killed as a result of a street racing crash back in June 2021. He was traveling in another vehicle when they were hit by alleged street racers.

RELATED: Second driver charged in street racing incident that killed 6-year-old

“It changed the way I feel about the world," Birrittier said. "I try not to be angry or have that hatred, but I assume those two people were trying to have fun by racing. People really don’t understand until it happens to them or it happens to someone close to them."

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A wall in her home is covered with Liam’s photos and the memories of her only child.

“He was so energetic; we were always laughing and playing," she shared. "He was just kind and loving.”

In September, one of the drivers involved in Liam's death, Grace Eaves, pleaded guilty to several charges including assault with a deadly weapon, involuntary manslaughter and speed competition. She was sentenced to serve up to 71 months for these charges.

Birrittier said that is not enough. She is working to pass Liam’s Law that would enact harsher punishments for street racers.

“With the stricter penalties, people will be hearing about this, and hopefully then, they will be thinking twice about what they are doing and not 'Oh, it’s just a misdemeanor,'" Birrittier said. "It is just a slap on the wrist."

Birrittier hopes her story stops a potential street racer from getting behind the wheel.

“We’ll never have Liam back, and any law or sentence will never make things better for us, but maybe it could make something change for somebody else,” Birrittier said.

She also wants to spotlight the area where the crash happened through a memorial to Liam, and she hopes it will make drivers rethink participate in the dangerous activity of street racing.

Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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