A late-night street race on Florida’s Interstate 75 took a dangerous turn when state troopers discovered two young toddlers strapped into the back seat of one of the racing vehicles. The incident, which occurred just after midnight on Sept. 5, has led to multiple arrests and felony child neglect charges. According to Guessing Headlights and official reports from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), state troopers were patrolling a stretch of northbound Interstate 75 in Manatee County at approximately 12:04 a.m. when they observed a Dodge Charger and a Dodge Challenger traveling in tandem at speeds reaching 100 mph. Troopers tracking the vehicles observed both high-performance sports cars abruptly slow down to about 50 mph. At that point, the front-seat passenger of the Dodge Charger leaned completely out of the window and used their arm to signal a “3, 2, 1” countdown to begin a drag race. The mother hasn’t been charged with child neglect As soon as the physical countdown concluded, both cars accelerated rapidly side by side, reaching a dangerously excessive speed of 120 mph. Recognizing the immediate threat to public safety, highway patrol units quickly activated their sirens, pursued the vehicles and successfully initiated a high-speed traffic stop. Upon pulling over the speeding Dodge Charger, troopers discovered that the illegal street race was a shocking family affair. Riding unrestrained in the back seat were two toddlers, aged 2 and 4, entirely exposed to the lethal risks of a 120-mph crash. Furthermore, the passenger who had leaned out of the window to orchestrate the race countdown was identified as the children’s biological mother. Behind the wheel of the Charger was the toddlers’ father, Tomas Valencia Ortega, 27, of Wesley Chapel, Florida. The driver of the competing Dodge Challenger was identified as Joshua Alan York, 27, of Brandon, Florida. Both male drivers were immediately detained, arrested at the scene and booked into the Hillsborough County Jail. Tomas Valencia Ortega, the driver of the Charger, was charged with illegal street racing, dangerous excessive speed and a felony count of child neglect without bodily harm due to the presence of his toddlers in the vehicle. Joshua Alan York, the driver of the Challenger, only received street racing-related charges. As for the mother, she is currently facing a separate charge for participating in the race via her countdown. Reportedly, prosecutors could also add additional child neglect charges if they see fit. Following the arrests, troopers formally notified the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) to launch an investigation and ensure the safety and welfare of the two children. The internet found humor in the entire thing When news of the incident broke, public reaction on social media took a strangely comical turn before the gravity of the situation fully set in. Because of how early media updates were worded, many online commenters initially misread the reports, believing the toddlers were riding inside the state trooper’s vehicle during a high-speed chase. One user on Facebook wrote, “Why do they look like overgrown toddlers themselves?” Many users jokingly asked who was winning before the police intervened, while others shared Fast and Furious memes. Both Valencia Ortega and York are currently awaiting their upcoming court dates in Hillsborough County, where they will face the mounting traffic and felony charges.