The families of two women killed in a drag racing crash last year were in Hartford Monday fighting for stiffer illegal racing laws.
Shalymar Herrera and Brianna Torres-Carter, who was pregnant at the time, were killed on River Road in Shelton. Torres-Carter's husband was driving the car that was racing another car from Pennsylvania. Torres-Carter's husband was charged with manslaughter and negligent vehicular homicide.
"The law has to change," says Julissa Torres. "This thing of street racing and reckless driving is horrible."
Herrera's mother met with state representatives to propose a bill that would increase the penalties for illegal racing and negligent homicide with a motor vehicle. The bill calls for imposing fines of up to $3,500, a three-year prison sentence or both.
"We need to educate our teenagers how dangerous it is to race in the street and put other people's lives in danger," says Lisa Herrera.