Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner on WDAY Radio’s The Coffee Club
FARGO, N.D. – Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner is speaking out following a tragic weekend crash that claimed the life of Ian Frye, urging lawmakers and the local community to address the escalating issue of illegal street racing.
The incident unfolded in an industrial park west of Interstate 29 and north of County Road 14. A property owner alerted authorities to property destruction caused by a gathering of roughly 100 vehicles. Responding deputies attempted to disperse the crowd, prompting multiple drivers to flee. One fleeing vehicle drove head-on into a deputy’s lane on an overpass before accelerating away. State Patrol troopers later clocked a fleeing vehicle—allegedly driven by suspect Cornelio Vasquez—at speeds exceeding 109 mph. Vasquez was taken into custody in Grand Forks with assistance from local law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sheriff Jahner expressed deep frustration over the recurring, highly organized nature of these street racing events.
“This is what we’ve been talking about for the last three or four years and trying to make some legislative changes as far as consequences as they relate to people fleeing from law enforcement,” he stated. “It almost takes someone to lose a life before we make change, and that’s what’s happened here.”
Highlighting the organized effort behind these gatherings, Jahner noted that participants frequently use lookouts, fictitious paper tags, or swapped license plates to evade license plate readers and tracking. Jahner also expressed concern over the presence of minors at these events, calling on parents to intervene and urging law-abiding car enthusiasts to report illegal activity.
“There is a total disregard for human life and public safety when these people are doing this,” Jahner emphasized. “They literally don’t care.”
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