Two police officers also were involved in crashes. They are expected to recover.
Illegal street racers stepped on the gas when police came to shut down their event on Long island overnight, but authorities said several of the drivers had to run on foot after crashing their rides.
Firefighters from Islip were dispatched around 2 a.m. Sunday for reports of fires at a race event on Commack Road at the Sunrise Highway overpass, the department said.
The fire engines were initially able to get to the scene because illegal road closures had reportedly been set up. Police managed to get through and tried to shut down the race, prompting the drivers to flee.
But several of them, according to Islip authorities, did not make it very far.
Two of the fleeing cars apparently collided near Commack Road and Grant Avenue, where they struck a telephone pole. The crash caused one of the car's to go up in flames. The people inside that car allegedly jumped out and ran off on foot.
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A local hazmat team had to response to that crash for a "substantial oil leak."
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Two more crashes were reported. Fire officials said one of them happened at West Pine Street and Whitman Avenue, where another car struck a telephone pole. Again, the occupants of that car got out and fled on foot.
There were no reports of any arrests.
