Two drivers allegedly chose an unfortunate place to begin a 120-mph street race: directly in front of an unmarked police vehicle.
The encounter happened Friday night, Aug. 14, on the Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida. Officer Ernesto Valerio of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Specialized Traffic Enforcement Unit was driving an unmarked SUV when he encountered a red Chevrolet Corvette and gray Dodge Challenger traveling beside each other.
Police video shows the cars in adjacent lanes, slowing traffic behind them. The Corvette driver then extends an arm through the window and appears to signal the start of the race.
Both cars accelerate while Valerio follows. The sheriff’s office said they reached 120 mph before the officer stopped the Challenger, according to reports from WOKV.
The Drivers Began Racing Right in Front of the Officer
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Dash-camera footage captures Valerio observing that the two cars are blocking traffic. Moments later, their engines grow louder, and both vehicles pull away rapidly.
“They’re racing right in front of me,” the officer says before activating his emergency equipment and pursuing the Challenger.
Police Arrested the Challenger Driver
Authorities identified the Challenger driver as 22-year-old Quashay Frazier Jr. Video shows Valerio ordering him out of the car and placing him in handcuffs beside the bridge.
The sheriff’s office said Frazier was arrested on one felony and multiple misdemeanor allegations, including street racing and excessive speeding. No collision or injuries were reported in the agency’s announcement. JSO did not identify the Corvette driver or say whether officers located that person after the race.
The Stop Was Part of Operation Double Down
The arrest was one of eight made Friday and Saturday during Operation Double Down, an enforcement campaign targeting street racers and drivers traveling at extreme speeds.
JSO shared the footage several days later, giving drivers a reminder that you never know who might be driving behind you.