Gov. Newsom signs bills to combat street racing after tragic teen death

December 7, 2013, is a day Lili Trujillo Puckett will never forget.

It was on that day that Puckett's 16-year-old daughter, Valentina, was killed. She says a young driver was giving her a ride home when he got into a street race and then hit another car driven by an innocent driver. Puckett says, "He T-boned her. Her car was flipping in the air. It went right through a fence, killing my daughter."

On Sunday, Governor Newsom signed four bills into law that give officers more tools to combat street racing. They're part of a package of legislation aimed at implementing harsher penalties on not only the drivers, but also spectators and promoters. They also expand on officers' abilities to impound vehicles involved.

Lori Argumedo, whose niece was killed by a street racer, applauds the Governor's actions. 

+"These are life-changing bills. This is going to save lives. I wish these bills existed before my niece's life was taken because I think people would have thought twice about participating in this type of behavior. When we buried my niece, I promised her that her death would not be in vain, and I promised her that I would keep her memory alive," Argumedo said.

She's doing that by lobbying for bills like the four the governor signed. Assembly Member Mike Gipson authored one of the four bills. He says, "Loved ones should have the opportunity to get home safe and sound without being caught up in a street takeover."

Gipson's bill toughens impoundments. His bill includes street takeovers in the list of offenses for which an officer may impound a vehicle. "Where it's damaging to the streets, people can't sleep at night because a street takeover is taking place, loss of life, guns involved, drugs—we want to decrease those kinds of activities."