The videos show spinning wheels and smoking tires, and passengers can be seen hanging out the windows of some of the cars.
Cars parked on the streets, blocking off the intersection. Spectators cheered and took photos and videos.
Tire marks and shredded piece of tire were still in the intersection this morning.
Dayton police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson on Monday told this newspaper that police are aware of the incident and other similar activities happened in other locations.
“We saw the video and there was also other reports of it throughout other parts of Dayton and Montgomery County,” said Henderson, who is the assistant chief. “They weren’t just in one location.”
Henderson said the reckless driving is very concerning and police will take appropriate enforcement actions to try to deter these activities in the future.
“We’re going to regroup and make sure that we put together some operations to address these types of incidents,” he said. “We do ask that everyone who are participating in these not to because at some point someone is going to be seriously injured or killed, and it’s something that can be prevented.”
Henderson said police don’t know if this was a local group of people, but these kinds of activities often attract people from all over the region.
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. on Monday said he was disappointed and troubled by the video he saw of vehicles driving recklessly in the city.
“It’s destructive and it’s crazy ... it’s risking people’s lives,” he said. “Fortunately no one was hurt.
“It’s painful to see how individuals seem to have such a lack of value for themselves and others.”
Mims said he thinks city leaders will look at changing city ordinances to increase penalties for these kinds of dangerous driving behaviors.
“This is not going to be tolerated, as far as the city of Dayton is concerned,” he said.
Dayton police and officials last year said they hoped to crack down on illegal automobile “circus acts” and “hooning,” which was taking place across the city.
Hooning is a term used to describe reckless driving behaviors like speeding, racing, doughnuts and burnouts that often take place on public streets and in private parking lots without the owners’ permission, officials say.
Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein said automotive “clown acts” were putting drivers, spectators and pedestrians at risk.
The city installed speed tables, humps and other traffic-calming features on Gettysburg Avenue to try to combat illegal street racing and dangerous driving.
About the Author
