KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The death of a person attending an illegal sideshow Sunday night spilling over into Monday morning is highlighting a split among car enthusiasts between bonding over their vehicles and participating in illegal and dangerous events.

“I feel like the event that happened was honestly just straight foolish,” said Connor Volavongsa. “Straight immature.”

Kansas City Police tell FOX4 the victim was a part of a large crowed gathered in the 3600 block of East Front Street where two vehicles were doing donuts in a parking lot.

After being hit and run over by a car, the victim was taken to the hospital with what was initially reported as non-life-threatening injuries, but they were rushed into surgery and pronounced dead from their injuries.

Connor met the person who died when they joined the same group of people who would meet up and bond over modifying their specific make and model of car.

“I saw our group chat completely blowing up and I opened it and it was honestly the worst news I’ve ever read,” said Volavongsa. “It was our bond and love for cars. We’d constantly just keep talking about what we’d want to do to our cars.”

Connor says their group would often meet up to talk or cruise around.

“It’s honestly an escape from reality when we’re all driving,” said Volavongsa. “It’s just euphoric sometimes when you’re driving around with your friends.”

He says their plans didn’t include sideshows. One of the victim’s family members echoed the same feeling, encouraging people who came out to remember the victim to not be part of dangerous and illegal events.