Two teens hurt in suspected street racing wreck

HOUSTON Deputies say it's possible the teen's parents knew they were driving. Investigators right now are looking into all the factors of the crash. It caused the intersection of Kieth Harrow and Old Greenhouse to be shut down Friday night.

A mangled mess of metal is all that's left of the two vehicles after witnesses say two teens lined up to street race not far from the crash scene on Kieth Harrow.

"The cars accelerated and raced each other down Kieth Harrow and then they came up on Old Greenhouse which is a T intersection," said Dan Drake of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The road ended and that was all it took to end the race.

"Neither vehicle was seen to brake and both went off of the roadway," Drake said.

The red Chevy crashed into an embankment. The 15-year-old unlicensed driver was rushed to the hospital. The other driver, also 15 and unlicensed, did not fare as well, smashing into a utility pole. He was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. A teenage passenger in the Navigator turned out OK, but that teen was unlicensed as well.

So beyond the immediate injuries, law enforcement is wondering what those kids were doing behind the wheel of those vehicles.

"The parents were out here on the scene and they didn't indicate that they were taken without permission," said Drake.

Deputies tell us that the parents of the teenagers could actually be ticketed for allowing the kids to drive.

According to Texas law, street racing is a Class B misdemeanor on the first offense, similar to a DWI charge. A second offense is a Class A misdemeanor and any additional offenses are state felonies.

Illegal drag racing is a third-degree felony if a person is hurt. If someone is seriously injured or killed, it becomes a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.