ODESSA, Texas — Street racing is a problem we've heard a lot about, and one Odessa family knows first hand how it can end badly.
Now, they are using their heartbreaking story to prevent street racing, encouraging drivers to bring it to the track.
NewsWest 9 spoke to the family of Zack Landry. He was killed in a car crash due to street racing in Odessa. That is why his family organized an annual event called "Take it to the track for Zack."
"It's a devastating thing for a family to go through, and we don't want anybody else to go through it," said Scott Erwin, Zack's Father. "At that young age of 20, you feel invincible and you don't think anything will happen to you. Then it does, and you have a family left behind that is destroyed."
Scott said that December 11, 2014 is a day he and his family will never forget.
"When they told us that our son had passed in the accident, it's just like your brain short circuits, and it's hard to put into words anything you do," said Erwin.
The event will also be a way to collect toys for those in the community. Erwin said the holidays are a hard time, especially since Zack's death happened during the Christmas season.
"We do these things in his name to just both help whoever may benefit from this, as well as help my family in the healing process," said Erwin. "Dealing with this time at this time of year, it's tough."
For now, Erwin hopes everyone can learn something from their story
"Zack didn't think anything would happen to him on that day, and it did," said Erwin. "The same thing can happen to anybody else in that same situation that decides to street race."
The "Take it to the Track for Zack" event will be Saturday, December 11th, at the Penwell Knights Raceway from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.