Kimble Smith, who was 17 at the time of the accident and 18 when he was convicted, was sentenced to three years in juvenile detention for Warburton's death.

Warburton described her family as "very private" and noted the difficulty they have in sharing intense, personal feelings with the public. When she and family members decide to speak, they do it in cases where they hope they can make a difference.

Such an event happened in 2005 when Warburton joined Sen. Karen Hale, D-Salt Lake, and others in updating the joint House and Senate committee on what studies show to be a growing problem of street racing in Utah and across the country.

In 2006, Salt Lake police held a similar joint operation to crack down on illegal street racing following several high profile accidents. A law passed that year by the Utah Legislature increased the penalties for people caught street racing and giving officers the power to impound their vehicles.

During one weekend operation in 2006, officers from several jurisdictions handed out 50 tickets, made 16 arrests and impounded nine vehicles.

E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com