Teen who crashed onto Modesto elementary school grounds cited. Why was he speeding?

The teenage driver of a BMW that plowed through a fence at a Modesto elementary school and toward a blacktop where children were playing earlier this month has been cited for racing, according to the Modesto Police Department.

Traffic investigators say Julius Laureta, 18, was driving in excess of 60 mph south on Coffee Road on March 1 when he swerved to avoid a vehicle that had pulled into his lane from a medical center across the street from the school, according to department spokeswoman Sharon Bear.

Laureta drove through a fence at John Muir Elementary School then crashed into a tree. His vehicle caught fire.

Bear said children in an after-school program who were playing on a nearby blacktop ran when they heard the vehicle’s tires squealing. None of the children were injured.

Bystanders used fire extinguishers to put out the fire and firefighters worked for an hour to extricate Laureta from the vehicle. He suffered major injuries, including broken bones.

Bear did not know Wednesday if Laureta was still in the hospital.

Witnesses reported seeing Laureta racing with another vehicle before the crash. He was cited for participating in a speed contest, which is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.