Starting Saturday, Prince George’s County is cracking down on street takeovers. DC residents wonder if that could drive them across the Maryland border.
WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Neighbors rushed outside as these booming sounds nearly shook this neighborhood.
“You could almost feel it,” said Lynn Lofton who lives at the intersection of South Dakota Avenue and 12th Street Southeast where security video shows cars doing doughnuts Thursday night.
It’s an intersection residents, like Lofton, said is extremely busy.
“You really have a recipe for disaster,” said Lofton. “It’s just not safe, it’s not safe for anybody and we now have pedestrians all over the place.”
“I get it, people are car enthusiasts and all that, but that kind of stuff doesn’t belong on the streets. It’s dangerous,” said a man who witnessed the street takeover, but didn’t want to be identified.
Where the street takeover happened is only a few blocks from Prince George’s County where, starting Saturday, they said they will penalize anyone caught at a car meetup, or street takeover, with fines and potential jail time. Some residents that live in this neighborhood along South Dakota Avenue Northeast wonder if that could result in more illegal car activity crossing the Maryland border more often.
“I’m sure it will,” said Lofton. “I’m just hoping the DC City Council is aware and I’m hoping they’ll do what they can to prevent it. I mean, this is just bad.”
“We’re working closely with the 5D Commander, the 4D commander to ensure they are increasing traffic enforcement, monitoring,” said Ward 5 Councilmember, Zachary Parker.
He said he saw the video of the street takeover circulating social media and said the city is keeping a close eye on DC’s neighbors.
“What we know is out of state drivers, namely from Maryland and Virginia, are recklessly driving through our communities and threatening our lives,” said Parker.
Lofton hopes it’s the last time she sees something like this on her block.
“I’m sure these people who drive these cars have someplace to let off steam, I just don’t know if it should be in a neighborhood,” said Lofton.
