Racing on public streets is dangerous for a lot of reasons. Drivers who do it are not only putting their own life in danger, but the lives of nearby motorists as well.

Two young drivers were street racing in Knoxville recently, according to witnesses. That apparently led to a head-on accident that severely injured two people.

The accident happened on State Route 394 in Blountville recently. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, witnesses say two juveniles in separate vehicles were racing on a recent afternoon. One of the vehicles, a Honda Accord, apparently passed a slower vehicle and veered into oncoming traffic, crashing head-on with a Chevrolet pick-up truck driven by a 62-year-old man from Kingsport. Both he and the young man sustained injuries.

Charges are pending an investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, according to the Times News.

The pickup truck driver’s wife says the man was hospitalized for several days. He suffered a variety of injuries, including a broken bone above his ankle that protruded from his skin. He also suffered several broken ribs, among other injuries. He was being treated at Bristol Regional Medical Center.

The young driver, who is a 17-year-old high school student, was injured as well. He was in a medically induced coma at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. He apparently required at least two days of surgery for treatment of his injuries. His most serious injury was thought to be a tear to his aorta.

Source: Times News, “Juvenile victim of Blountville crash remains in coma, second victim still hospitalized,” Rain Smith, March 1, 2012