Photo by Danny Fulgencio

One is dead and several, including two children, are injured after a Monday night pileup involving at least seven cars. The cause? Police suspect a street-racing crash—the exceedingly popular and perilous game, in a split second, can turn to the stuff of nightmares. especially in certain sectors of our city such as South Dallas.

It was but two weeks ago that a vehicle speeding along Twelfth Street in Oak Cliff sideswiped a car, rolled multiple times onto Montreal where, in the 400 block, it pummeled through a wood fence and slid to an inverted stop halfway inside some unfortunate family’s living room.

That one happened at noon, so no one was inside. And the Chevy’s occupants lived, that time.

Dallas City Councilman Scott Griggs responded with the formation of a police task force to manage speeding and illegal street racing; police, during those days made dozens more stops every week on Twelfth, Hampton, Kiest, Polk and Simpson Stuart, reports Oak Cliff Advocate. “Speeding and illegal street racing is terrible throughout Oak Cliff and other parts of Southern Dallas,” Griggs has noted.

Barry Kooda via Advocate magazine

Looks bad, right? Monday was worse. Way, considering the loss of life and the, yet unknown, severity of physical injury, rather than mere property.

Griggs says the accident Monday night is a felony and that he and the task force plan to meet with the Dallas County District Attorney to discuss cracking down on criminal charges in excessive speeding cases, the Advocate reports.

Responders arrived at Monday’s wreckage at about 8 p.m.

Sparse details NBC5 acquired to date: Two groups of street racers caused the crash that involved a total of seven vehicles. They reported one fatality, and five other people — three adults and two children — transported to hospitals with injuries not considered life threatening.

Southern Dallas is not alone in its illegal road racing dilemma. Just last month the LA Times ran a feature story about the lethal toll this dare deviling has taken on its city.

In 17 years, Los Angeles County has seen 179 deaths on its streets — it’s the epicenter of the behavior, possibly due to the “Fast & Furious” franchise, which is set there. Yep—many police blame “high-speed car culture” on these movies, which “hype” racing. And because it is sometimes a spectator event, observers can be at as much risk as participants.

Three people, including a 15-year-old, were killed in LA after a Dodge doing doughnuts in the street collided with a Ford, striking spectators. Sheriff’s deputies said more than 100 vehicles may have been in the area at the time.

The potential for danger, authorities said, is high, reinforced by drugs, large amounts of cash and other criminal activity.

Most police there believe social media bolsters and emboldens young drivers hungry for attention.

“Events can be organized within hours, and locations can be changed on the fly. Instagram ‘likes’ on viral videos of stunts — people performing doughnuts or bouncing lowriders — are the new street cred, one officer said. As much as $20,000 is bet on some illegal drag races.”

Back here in Dallas, a well-known, liked and innocent Lake Highlands High School grad was killed by street racers on Buckner Blvd. last year.