Mingo Sheriff’s Office investigating illegal weekend drag race

MINGO COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Mingo County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating what went into an apparent drag racing event held during the weekend near Mingo Central High School.

Mingo County Sheriff Joe Smith said his office started receiving calls about the event Monday after neighbors saw photos and videos posted on social media. Smith said several callers initially thought the Sheriff’s Office was involved in shutting the road down.

Smith said the event happened either Saturday or Sunday after midnight.

Deputies visited the stretch of road along King Coal Highway Monday morning to find tire tracks, paint marks and rubber from tires along the roadway.

Based on information investigators could track down from social media, those involved included people from Greenup County, Kentucky, Kanawha County, West Virginia, and Hurricane, West Virginia.

“These aren’t the cars that you drive to the grocery store, these are race cars,” Smith said, speaking with WSAZ by phone Monday. “People are brought here to do this event and yet they will hit somebody’s head on up there at 130, 40, 50 miles per hour, I’m just guessing that would kill them instantly.”

A spokesperson for Mingo County Schools told WSAZ neither the district or Mingo Central High School had any involvement or knowledge of the event.

Anyone with information about the event is urged to call the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office.

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