VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Two U.S. Navy sailors are charged with street racing in the middle of the night through one of the busiest neighborhoods of Virginia Beach.
Court paperwork says around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, two Jeep Cherokees raced each other northbound on Independence Boulevard, just north of Town Center.
As they allegedly raced, a Mitsubishi Lancer heading south tried to make a left hand turn onto Hinsdale Street. That’s when officials say one Jeep, driven by 23-year-old Jerald Pope, crashed into the Lancer while going 81 mph.
Both people in the Lancer were rushed to the hospital. One had life-threatening injuries.
At one point during the alleged race, Pope’s Jeep was reportedly going 92 mph in a 45 mph zone, police said.
Virginia Beach Police charged Pope with misdemeanor reckless driving and felony racing with serious injury.
Court documents say Pope told officials he was accelerating at the time of the crash because he was trying to get neck-and-neck with his friend driving the other Jeep Cherokee next to him, 24-year-old Tyrion Brown.
Brown was charged with misdemeanor racing.
Both men had bond hearings Wednesday morning in Virginia Beach.
The judge denied bond for Pope, the driver of the car involved in the accident. He’s expected to appeal.
A $25,000 bond was granted for Brown. The commonwealth’s attorney is appealing that. The appeal is expected to be ruled on this coming Monday.
Both Brown and Pope will have preliminary hearings in April.
U.S. Navy records show Pope is assigned to the USS George H. W. Bush.
Brown is assigned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek.