Drag racing in Augusta County is nothing new. Some residents say it's been going on for some 50 years.

Sgt. Monty Sellers, Augusta County Sheriff's Office, says, "We've always been pretty active on drag racing. It's just a matter of being there at the right time. The tip or phone call that gets us there."

Scenes from a drag race gone bad, such as the one in Washington, D.C., are prompting organizations like AAA to join in the fight to stop it.

Sellers adds, "Any publicity you get, any incentives you get to act on it, yeah it educates the public."

Back in October 2007, 18-year-old Brittany Engleman lost her life in a drag race in the county, but Sellers says that's still not deterring people.

Sellers comments, "People who do this now may think it's fun, but when there’s a very serious accident or something or some fatality or something, they're going to look back and think, 'You know, why did I do it?' And then it's too late."

He thinks parents should get more involved with their kids to help control this problem.

Sellers says, "The judge doesn't have to take the kids' license. If they're under 18 and the parent knows about it, the parent can take the license. If they're 16 years old and under 18, the parent is totally in control of their driver's license."