Hollywood car stunts turn into real street takeover crimes

California, the birthplace of hot rod culture and televised police chases, is cracking down on a wave of deadly street takeovers.

Often organized through social media, these chaotic events – also known as sideshows – have turned quiet streets into dangerous arenas where drivers race, spin and burn rubber to pump up the crowds.

With injuries and deaths mounting, Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed a package of bills aimed at curbing the growing phenomenon, allowing authorities to impound vehicles, suspend licenses and jail participants.

“We have seen too many people killed or injured at these events,” Newsom said in a statement this week. “Today we are sending a clear message to anyone who attends or participates in a sideshow: stricter penalties apply, including the potential loss of your vehicle.”

The measures, which passed with bipartisan support, give law enforcement new tools to combat the problem in a state where fearsome street racing has long been romanticized — from motorcycle-riding rebels to lowrider cruisers and through franchises such as The Fast and the Furious.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Kate Sanchez, a Republican who represents parts of Orange and Riverside counties in Southern California, allows police to impound vehicles that block roads during takeovers, even without arresting the driver. However, a state Assembly review warned of potential legal challenges, citing concerns about possible violations of “unreasonable” search and seizure protections.

“Side pickups and street pickups must end now,” Sanchez said in a statement. “Our communities are fed up with lawlessness.”

A surge in street takeovers began during the pandemic, when traffic was light and roads were empty. The California Highway Patrol cited 341 people for “motor vehicle speed exhibition violations” in 2020, up 70 percent from 2019.

They continued this year, with more incidents making headlines.

Over the weekend, two people were killed in separate shootings related to secondary events in Sacramento. Hundreds of people joined an illegal street takeover in South Los Angeles in June when more than 50 participants robbed a nearby auto parts store, stealing an estimated $67,000 worth of merchandise, according to Los Angeles police.

In April, a woman reportedly passed out while watching an Infiniti G37 lose control while cutting donuts during a street takeover in South Los Angeles. At least six people died in 2022 in connection with the takeover of the streets of Los Angeles, the same year a new $588 million bridge was repeatedly closed due to these events and other types of vandalism.

Law enforcement took action. In February, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office infiltrated a weekend side event, detaining 150 people and impounding 88 cars. Oakland police arrested five people and recovered three guns in June after a series of sideshows that attracted 300 vehicles and 200 spectators.

Oakland’s sideshow tradition dates back to the 1980s, evolving a decade later into more spectacular events influenced by the city’s hyphy culture, a local slang term meaning “hyperactive” that was coined by rapper Keak da Sneak and popularized by his song E-40. , Hyphy.

“The original shows were just meant to show off the cars, but they developed into bigger events under Oakland’s unique hyphy culture in the 1990s,” according to an analysis of the bills.

The problem extends beyond California.

A new Florida law imposes stiff fines and possible license suspensions on drivers involved in stunts and pick-ups. Last week, Philadelphia police responded to 11 incidents involving up to 200 vehicles involved in drifting and drag racing, with crowds setting off fireworks, wielding a flamethrower and vandalizing five police vehicles, resulting in one officer being injured.

“A mole game is being played,” Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Mike Cram said during a news conference. “It just moves from one location to another.”

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

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Car fraud