KILLEEN, Texas: The Killeen Police Department are once again warning citizens to watch their speed after what they believe was two cars participating in an illegal street race last week.

They say street racing is something they have become used to dealing with.

“We actually encounter cars all the time,” KPD Commander Tony McDaniel said. “We have to remind them that just because you don’t line up and somebody says ‘go’ that it doesn’t mean it’s a race. A race is any contest of speed.”

A recent incident triggered them to send out the warning. Last week, an officer caught two cars travelling at 112 miles per hour on Clear Creek Road, where the speed limit is 50 miles per hour.

The police doesn’t want to repeat any local tragedies.

“It’s very disheartening,” McDaniel said. “We have some history of racing from just a few years ago when we had some high school students who, during their lunch hour, were racing and they hit a couple and the couple died on the scene.”

McDaniel says the problem stems partly from having such a young population, with five major high schools and Fort Hood housing tens of thousands of young drivers.

“There’s five high schools, so a lot of kids are driving also, so every now and then they get tempted to go,” McDaniel said. “We’re just gonna ask everybody to use a little patience and just to slow down a little bit.”

He also urges drivers to think about potential consequences before getting in an illegal street race.

“A two minute race could mean that you may inquire some felony charges and that will change your life forever,” McDaniel said. “Also, think about the person on the other side of the race, if you have an accident and you hit that family, now it changes that family’s life forever as well.”

KPD says they are keeping an even closer eye on these types of crimes during the spring months during graduation season.