SDPD TARGETS STREET RACES, SPECTATORS
34 cars have been seized in illegal stunt driving events
San Diego police are going after drivers and spectators attending illegal intersection takeovers and street races, and they have seized 34 cars involved in such events since January.
“Intersection takeovers and illegal stunt driving are incredibly dangerous and have led to property damage, injury, and in some cases, death,” Lt. Adam Sharki, a San Diego Police Department spokesperson, said in an email.
In all, investigators have identified 172 vehicles involved in illegal stunt driving and intersection takeovers in San Diego since the beginning of the year, Sharki said.
Police, he said, “are working to hold each of them accountable.”
Last month, a pedestrian was hit by a car as a driver was doing doughnuts in Mission Valley. Between 50 and 100 cars had gathered in the area of Camino de la Reina and Hotel Circle North near the Town and Country Resort, police said. A driver was arrested in connection with the collision.
Police in San Diego and elsewhere saw an increase in street racing after COVID-19 restrictions went into effect. In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that toughens the sentences for street racers in California, adding up to a six-month suspension of a driver’s license for offenders. It will go into effect in July 2025.
Street takeovers are often advertised on social media and can draw up to 100 spectators to an intersection where racing or stunt driving tricks are performed.
Drivers who participate in “takeovers” can face infractions for speeding, misdemeanors for reckless driving or street racing, or felonies if the offense involves a police pursuit or results in injury.
Spectators also can face criminal prosecution. If convicted, a spectator can face up to six months in jail and a fine, Sharki said.
“It’s not always possible
to stop, cite, or arrest the vehicles at the scene of the event. These techniques are intended to hold accountable these offenders putting our neighborhoods and streets at risk,” he said.
Before a vehicle is seized, police investigators submit an affidavit to a judge and the judge decides whether to issue the order.
Vehicle owners typically have their cars impounded for a 30-day period, with the average fee charged for that
period around $1,700, Sharki said.
“The impound is for 30 days under the law,” he said. “The owner has to pay all fees
associated with that impound/storage unless the judge determines otherwise.”