CMPD: 2 arrested, 10 cited for street takeovers that hospitalized spectator

CHARLOTTE — Police shared an update Wednesday as they crack down on street racing in Charlotte.

On Aug. 31, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers were called to several parts of the city for what they called a large street takeover. They said an 18-year-old spectator was hit by a car and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

A car involved in a takeover at Arrowood Road and Interstate 77 caught fire and was left abandoned nearby, CMPD said.

After visiting six locations throughout the night, police arrested two people, issued 20 citations, and seized five cars and two guns.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol helped CMPD with the response.

Last year, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a bill outlawing street takeovers in North Carolina. Under the new law, drivers can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined more than $1,000. There are stricter penalties for repeat offenders within two years.

Those who coordinate or participate in street stunts could also face misdemeanor charges. Their vehicles could also be taken away, according to the law.

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Meanwhile, neighbors say they’ve reported drivers doing street stunts and takeovers along Mallard Creek Road in north Charlotte. They live in the Mallard Forrest community, which backs up to the road.

One mother said the area is not as quiet as she expected it to be.

“I hear the racing. There’s people yelling. There’s gunshots,” she said.

By Wednesday, Channel 9′s Erika Jackson could still see tire marks where drivers did burnouts on Mallard Creek Road near North Graham Street. She said she’s called 911 on drivers there in the past.

“We do hear the sirens come down the street but since we hear them, of course the other cars hear them and that gives them time to head out,” she said.

One man told Jackson he has friends who know people in the street takeovers. He called the stunts “simply dangerous.”

“Your tire can burst, you can lose control and flip the car. Not even hit someone but hit other cars and hurt yourself and those around you,” he said. “It’s a really stupid thing to do.

People who live near the popular spots hope the dangerous drivers are gone for good.

“I’m sure they will find somewhere else to go. But I’m hoping they will feel like the street is no longer safe to come and do that,” the woman said.

(WATCH BELOW: Videos show street takeovers, fireworks in Uptown Charlotte, NoDa)

Videos show street takeovers, fireworks in Uptown Charlotte, NoDa

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