In the early hours of September 26, 2025, the streets of Farmington, New Mexico, became the scene of a harrowing crash that would soon go viral, thanks to police-released video footage capturing every chilling moment. What started as an illegal street race between a white sedan and a red Toyota Supra ended with one car in flames, a young man’s sweatshirt burning, and police officers risking their lives to pull him from the wreckage. The incident, which unfolded in the city of 46,000 in northern New Mexico, has reignited urgent conversations about the persistent dangers of street racing in the region.
According to reports from KRQE News 13 and The Daily Mail, the race began when the two vehicles sped past a police squad car. Officers, already aware of the race in progress, attempted a traffic stop, but the white sedan fled, setting off a chain of events that would escalate within seconds. Surveillance cameras captured the white sedan barreling down the road before it clipped the side of another moving vehicle. That minor contact was all it took: the sedan spun nearly 90 degrees, collided with a parked car, and flipped over into a nearby parking lot, exploding into a fireball on impact. The car, now upside down and engulfed in flames, trapped its two male occupants inside.
The red Toyota Supra, driven by 22-year-old Kalynn Kenworthy, was not far behind. As the white sedan burst into flames, Kenworthy screeched to a stop nearby. Police bodycam footage, later shared by the Farmington Police Department to “highlight the dangers of street racing,” shows officers sprinting toward the burning wreck. In the chaos, Kenworthy, visibly distraught, tried to reach her friend, screaming, “Grab my hand! Grab my fing hand!” But officers quickly ordered her to back away as they focused on rescuing the passenger, a 20-year-old man whose sweatshirt was visibly on fire.
According to The US Sun, the bodycam footage is as dramatic as it is distressing. Officers reached into the flames and pulled the young man out, dragging him onto the asphalt. For several seconds, the back of his sweatshirt continued to burn before being extinguished by his contact with the ground. The man, face down in the parking lot of a local grocery store, screamed in pain and repeatedly begged police to call his grandmother. “Dude, I’m fed up,” he told officers. “I don’t want to die.” His hands and face were burned, his nose was bleeding—he believed it was broken during the crash.
While paramedics rushed to the scene, the passenger identified himself as such, telling officers his friend was the driver. The driver, a 27-year-old man whose name has not been released, had managed to escape the burning car unaided. Police discovered him among a crowd of bystanders and ordered him to sit down near where officers had set up a perimeter. Both the driver and the passenger were transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center for treatment. The driver escaped serious injury, while the passenger’s burns and injuries were treated by hospital staff. According to police, charges are pending against the driver of the white sedan.
Kenworthy, meanwhile, was uninjured in the crash. She was arrested and booked into the San Juan County Detention Center the morning after the incident. Police charged her with racing on highways, a serious offense in New Mexico. According to The Daily Mail, Kenworthy’s arrest came as little surprise to local authorities. She has an extensive history of traffic violations, including citations for street racing in 2023 and again in August 2025, just a month before the fiery crash. In addition, she has racked up more than seven speeding tickets in the past four years, each time clocked at more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit.
The Farmington Police Department has responded to a staggering number of traffic incidents in recent years. In 2024 alone, officers dealt with 2,672 crashes, resulting in 463 injuries and seven fatalities. Police Chief Steve Hebbe, quoted in The Daily Mail, described street racing as “kind of in the fabric of Farmington” and lamented that it’s been a “20-year problem.” The department’s decision to release the rescue footage was deliberate, aiming to drive home the message that illegal racing is not just a harmless thrill—it’s a deadly risk that endangers everyone on the road.
Witnesses and bystanders were left shaken by the spectacle. As the white sedan burned in the parking lot, crowds gathered, some filming on their phones, others simply stunned. Kenworthy, in a moment captured by police cameras, tried desperately to check on her injured friend, telling officers, “I’m just making sure that he’s okay. All I care about is him, I don’t give a f about that, I don’t give a f about my car.” Her emotional outburst, while raw, underscored the human cost of reckless behavior behind the wheel.
The Farmington crash is just the latest in a long line of street racing incidents that have plagued not only New Mexico but cities across the United States. The allure of speed, the adrenaline of competition, and the temptation to flaunt the law have made street racing a persistent—and growing—problem. Local authorities have tried various tactics to curb the trend, from stepped-up patrols to public awareness campaigns. Yet, as Chief Hebbe’s comments suggest, the challenge is deeply rooted in local culture and not easily solved.
For the young men in the white sedan, the events of September 26 could have easily been fatal. The passenger’s sweatshirt burning as he was pulled from the wreckage is a vivid reminder of just how close tragedy can come. The quick response of Farmington police, already in pursuit, almost certainly saved a life that night. But for every rescue caught on camera, there are countless other stories that end in heartbreak.
As the investigation continues and charges are considered against both drivers, Farmington’s residents are left to grapple with the aftermath. The released footage has sparked renewed debate about how best to address the scourge of street racing, with community leaders, law enforcement, and families all weighing in. For now, the hope is that the searing images from that September night will serve as a cautionary tale—one that might, just might, make someone think twice before hitting the gas on an open stretch of road.
