You will often hear us preaching the benefits of drag racing at a controlled, approved facility. From well-prepared strips that allow you to get the best grip to modern timing technology to dial your car in, racing at a drag strip is well worth the few bucks it costs to get in. But by far the most important benefit of drag racing at a drag strip is the presence of emergency personnel on hand ready to save your life at a moment’s notice.

Don’t take our word for it though. Just look at the example set by two Tulsa, Oklahoma Mustang owners who decided to go for a late-night street race. But rather than claiming victory, both drivers wound up crashing into each other, ruining their days…and their cars, reports News on 6.

According to witnesses the two Mustangs, one black and one red, were drag racing around 2:30 am on Riverside Drive. The accident occurred when the black Mustang, which was apparently in the lead, changed lanes too early, clipping the front end of the red Mustang. This sent the red Mustang off of the road and into the grass, while the black Mustang left the highway and rolled several times before coming to a rest.

While the red Mustang is missing its front wheel and has some heavy front end damage, the black Mustang got the worst of the damage. It is beyond a shadow of a doubt totaled, with much of the roof caved in and the back body cladding hanging on by a thread. Amazingly, both the drivers and their female passengers walked away from the accident with nothing but cuts and bruises, though both drivers were cited for drag racing.

If you ask us, totaling your Mustang in the middle of a street race is punishment enough. This is exactly the kind of accident racing at the drag strip helps avoid. Keep that in mind next time you line up for an illegal contest of speed.