OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A huge, illegal car rally on the city’s south side resulted in over 100 arrests. Police say it was part of night of illegal street racing that has become all too common in the metro.
“It’s against the law and we are going to enforce it when we see it,” said M.Sgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD).
Video exclusively obtained by KFOR shows the headlights lighting up the parking lot at a south side strip center. Then smoke rising in the air, as the cars do donuts and burn out.
OKCPD say the illegal racing actually started earlier in the night on the north side of the metro.
“There were a ton of cars, I thought, ‘oh no, there has been a bad accident here,’” said Jordann Lucero, an eyewitness near Wilshire and Broadway Extension.
She says cars were parked in the middle of the intersection, blocking traffic, and about to race.
“People were standing on Wilshire and on the frontage road of the highway. Just standing out there,” said Lucero.
“They were out there doing burn outs in the middle of the roadway and trying to shut down traffic,” said Knight.
Police say, often, the racers take over parts of interstates to race.
“They plan these shutdowns of the interstate so they can go out and not only do this in the middle of the highway but they are also trying to gain attention, put a spot light on themselves, the look at me type of thing,” said Knight.
When officers arrived at the Wilshire intersection that night, the cars broke up and headed south.
“These street racers are getting more sophisticated and how they do it. They carry scanners with them,” said Knight
But police were able to follow the racers.
In the surveillance video, you see people and cars scatter as patrol cars come on the scene.
OKCPD says upwards of 100 arrests were made – mostly for trespassing, but…
“One officer was assaulted, ended up going to hospital to receive medical treatment,” said Knight.
Police say they don’t know for sure if its inspired by popular tv shows and movies, but they are trying to crackdown on these events.
“It’s a very dangerous situation and when we see it we are going to put a stop to it,” said Knight.
