23-year-old Eric Eduardo Fernandez was involved in a multi-vehicle collision near Purple Heart Parkway and Evans Road on the afternoon of August 10th. Responding officers gathered a statement from Fernandez while he was getting checked out in the back of the ambulance. During the questioning, a medic asked the police if Fernandez had been racing. Fernandez stated he was, adding that the race started from the Purple Heart Parkway and Jordan Road intersection and ended at the Purple Heart Parkway and Evans Road intersection. Fernandez said he was in lane 2 trying to out-speed a Honda in lane 1, which was going much faster than him. Then, Fernandez explained that a white pickup truck began to brake at the Purple Heart Parkway and Evans Road intersection. He stated this was when he rear-ended the truck because he could not slow down in time, causing it to spin. The police spoke with another involved driver, who stated that Fernandez drove his red Camaro into his tan Buick SUV before hitting the pickup truck. Officers discovered that the tire markings show Fernandez started braking 679 feet before crashing. Fernandez informed the police that he had been going 70 mph. The collision caused a neck injury to the driver of the tan Buick SUV and whiplash to the driver of the white pickup truck. Fernandez was taken into custody for drag racing and failing to exercise due care.
