Prince George's County authorities have identified the final two victims killed after a car plowed into a crowd of spectators watching an illegal drag race, as county officials continue to investigate the long-standing problem of street racing.
Otis Williams, 35, of Indian Head and Milton Pinkney, 41, of La Plata were among eight killed early Saturday when a Ford Crown Victoria drove through a smoky haze and straight into a crowd of people who had moved onto the highway to watch the race.
Seven others, including the driver and passenger of the Crown Victoria, were injured in the crash, according to Prince George's County police. Police have not released the name of the driver, according to spokesman Cpl. Arvel Lewis.
John Erzen, a spokesman for County Executive Jack B. Johnson, said Johnson will meet with officials over the course of the week to track the investigation.
"The driver of the vehicle that hit the spectators has been very cooperative. But police have had a difficult time locating the actual people involved in the drag racing," Erzen said.
Police have said they think that debris and smoke from the spinning tires as well as the dark road - there are no streetlights - made it difficult for the approaching driver to see. Some onlookers have estimated that 150 people gathered to watch the race.
Many community leaders in the wake of the accident have criticized the county's efforts to crack down on illegal racing, but Erzen said some of the responsibility lies with the participants.
In terms of laws already in place, "it's not necessarily the issue that the laws are not strict enough. The bigger issue is the racing subculture," Erzen said.
Erzen added that Johnson was dealing with illegal racing 12 years ago as state's attorney.
At that time, Route 450 near Lanham was the main illegal drag strip. The Fire Department sprayed the road with water and foam to make it slippery and unattractive for racers, he said. "But they just move somewhere else. It's very difficult to catch up with them. What we need to address is how to move and keep up with them," Erzen said.
Del. William A. Bronrott, a Montgomery County Democrat who is one of the General Assembly's foremost experts on traffic laws, said he would like to know whether there are legal loopholes preventing authorities from cracking down on street racing.
"I would be very interested in hearing from the state police or other authorities about what they think is needed," said Bronrott.
