Post-Thanksgiving partiers on Wilton Drive are thankful to be uninjured after a dangerous street takeover.
About 12:30 a.m. on Friday, several cars started doing high speed donuts at the intersection of 20th St. and Wilton Drive. Video posted on social media shows screeching cars and smoking tires while people nearby tried to stay safe and capture them on camera.
Making the display even more brazen, the Wilton Manors Police Department is just steps away from where this all went down.
WMPD is investigating, and Chief Gary Blocker said, “Our community was the victim of an illegal street takeover, a crime that’s been on the rise in several cities here in South Florida.”
Thanks to WMPD’s proximity to the scene, officers arrived before the first 911 calls came in. Some videos show police lights and the cars leaving after a few seconds. Some questioned why they didn’t make arrests on the spot.
Police have few options in a situation like this. Ramming the cars escalates the situation and increases the chances of hurting bystanders or other drivers.
As of Monday afternoon, no arrests had been made.
Investigators are asking people with information, including pictures and video, to contact them. Anything showing license plate numbers would be especially helpful.
“This could've caused casualties and even death with pedestrians,” Marlon Escamilla commented on social media. “Absolutely unacceptable. We have no room for this shit in our gayborhood!”
Illegal, so-called “street takeovers” are happening more and more in Florida and around the country. As of now, there is no reason to believe Wilton Drive was targeted for its LGBTQ crowd.
