NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Illegal street racing has invaded U.S. streets, including those in Nashville.
“We had a street racer that intentionally tried to run us over because we [weren’t] moving fast enough,” Nashville resident and advocate Jeff Sexton told News 2. “This is normal — this is normal behavior from those guys.”
This year, the Traffic Unit of the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) conducted 19 street racer initiatives, ultimately resulting in 47 arrests.
Sexton’s advocacy against street racing is motivated by seeking justice for victims like 31-year-old Jake Barnhardt, who was a Navy veteran and father. Barnhardt was killed in a March 2023 crash on Clarksville Pike.
“I promised [Barnhardt] that I would work on this and would try to make sure that nobody else suffered like they did and that we would find a solution,” Sexton said.
The solution Sexton has advocated for is the creation of a standalone, statewide street racer task force. The task force would be proactive in areas where the MNPD may not have as much of a presence.
“[The] Metro Nashville Police Department has done a remarkable job with the resources they have,” Sexton added. “They’re some of the best in the business. They just don’t have enough.”
Sexton believes those behind the wheel who are involved with illegal street racing should face harsher penalties, including high-scale felonies. Sexton wants to increase fines and sentence lengths as well.
“I feel like we owe it to the victims and their families,” Sexton added.
