LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Drag racing became popular in Little Rock during the pandemic, and it's a problem that we've been investigating for the past two years.
As more people stayed home due to COVID, that gave others the opportunity to take to the streets and test the limits of the law.
This dangerous activity led to the deaths of two innocent people: Tricia and Jeremy McCool.
Their family describes them as being made for each other and they expected them to be together forever— but forever came too soon for their family.
"It was absolutely horrible. I mean it still doesn't seem possible," said Jayson McCool, Jeremy's brother.
It was a normal Saturday afternoon in March 2022 when the couple was driving on I-30 in Little Rock.
Jayson said no one knew where exactly they were going, but suspected that they were going to the movies.
The police report shows that Byron Chavez-Velazquez was also driving down that interstate racing when he rear-ended the McCool's car— which forced both vehicles off the road into a line of trees.
The McCools were thrown from their car, and both died from their injuries.
"It's absolutely senseless," said Jayson. "I mean, this isn't your Saturday night folks drag racing out in the middle of nowhere. These people are running 120 miles per hour down Interstate 30 at 2 o'clock in the afternoon."
The police report also reveals that Velazquez did not have a license and was driving someone else's car.
Prosecutors charged him with two counts of negligent homicide, but those charges are only misdemeanors.
He will have a jury trial later this year, and if he's found guilty the maximum time Velazquez could serve is up to a year in jail.
Tricia's mother is also suing Velazquez for $4 million in damages.
According to Arkansas State Police, this is the only case of a person dying from racing on the interstate.
"When you have instances where drag racing is involved, that is a decision that somebody makes to initiate dangerous behavior on the roadways, and that always affects other people," said Sergeant Cody Williams with Arkansas State Police Troop A.
He added that since more people have returned to work, troopers have seen the number of racing incidents go down.
State police explained that there are more patrols on the interstates and that has helped deter those who want to break the law.
"Usually our trooper will pull on scene, and initiate his emergency equipment. most of the time just his blue lights, and most of the time the cars will disperse fairly quickly," said Sgt. Williams.
Jeremy and Tricia's family hopes this never happens to anyone else, and they wish the penalties for this crime were higher.
"There's no justice in it whatsoever," Jayson said.