The Yorktown Town Board passed tough anti-drag racing laws
earlier this week, allowing fines between $1,000 and $5,000 for those that
break the new town code.
It also allows for the forfeiture or confiscation of
vehicles used in races and restricts seized vehicles from being allowed back on
the streets if bought at auction.
Yorktown Town Supervisor Matt Slater says he knows firsthand
the tragic loss drag racing can bring.
"I, unfortunately, lost a friend to a drag racing,
right on Route 132," he said. "We wanted to make sure that we were
doing our part to pass responsible legislation that will obviously save
lives."
The Yorktown legislation is similar to a law already
on the books in Yonkers, thanks in part to the advocacy of the family of
Michael Nolan. The 23-year-old baseball prospect was shot and killed in a drive-by
shooting in Yonkers in 2015. Investigators say the shooting was connected to an
earlier drag racing incident.
Greenburgh also hit the brakes on drag racing by putting
new laws in place in December.