Men indicted in drag racing death

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Five months after witnesses saw them racing on a busy city street, two men are now charged with vehicular homicide. They are accused of crashing into a car driven by a young mother and killing her.

Witnesses say the two men were going around 100 miles an hour down Central Avenue. Now they could be on a fast track to prison.

“All of our lives have been changed forever,” Angela Garcia said as she spoke about her daughter Tara.

A cross marks where 27-year-old Tara Garcia’s car was smashed by two other cars in late June; she died a few days later. Police say two men were drag racing down Central before 1 a.m., then the other slammed into Garcia at 90th street.

“Had she survived she would have forgiven them and so do we,” her mother told KRQE News 13.

Forgiven, maybe but the case has not been forgotten. The two drag racers have now been indicted for vehicular homicide.

“There is clear evidence that speed is going to be a factor in this case,” said District Attorney Kari Brandenburg.

Witnesses say the men were going about 100 miles an hour. David Jansen, 38, was arrested Monday and there is a warrant for the other driver Anthony Ramos, 32.

“There could be continued accident scene reconstruction because we don't know what the defense is going to come up with yet,” said Brandenburg.

One thing they might come up with is Jansen’s claim that Garcia pulled out in front of him. But her fiancé, Matt Torres doubts that, “A loving person we just miss her dearly. She was just one of the most careful drivers.”

Her family says their love and faith keep them together but they want Jansen and Ramos to understand what they've lost.

“We hope they realize because of their foolish decision her son's Adrian, 7-years-old and Adam, 4-years-old will never get to know what a beautiful loving caring mother she was,” said Angela Garcia.

The family says they hope this is a wake up call to drivers to be more cautious on the road.

Garcia's fiancé says he hopes both men get the maximum penalty.

If they're convicted of vehicular homicide, the two could get six years in prison. If they're found guilty of the lesser charge of careless driving they're looking at three months in jail