HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Illegal car rallies have become a growing problem in Howard County, authorities said.
Reminiscent of a scene from a “Fast and Furious” movie, the pop-up rallies typically involve dozens and up to hundreds of cars, many of which have been illegally modified, that engage in street racing, spin-outs and other “reckless driving” late at night, the Howard County Police Department said. In fact, public intersections have been shut down completely by car rallies.
“There is no one location; they have happened all throughout the county. Locations are usually determined shortly before the gatherings. They involve large crowds involved in illegal street racing, shutting down intersections and spin-out exhibitions,” Seth Hoffman, public information officer for the Howard County Police Department, told Patch.
While the Howard County Police Department has employed targeted initiatives to keep the groups out of Howard County, a recent rally held on private parking lots damaged property. According to the police department, a church in Clarksville now must pay $20,000 or more for damages. In that incident, Howard County police officer broke up the crowds, handed out traffic citations and criminal charges for destruction of property are pending, the police department noted.
“These rallies are dangerous not just to participants and spectators, but to other people on the road. They can result in vehicle crashes, injuries, property damage, vandalism, noise and intimidation,” the police department noted.
Individuals of all ages can be found at the illegal car rallies. Hoffman told Patch that they’re illegal essentially because the participants and spectators violate traffic laws and are on private property without permission.
“And they often commit destruction of property by damaging parking lots with residue left from spin-outs,” he said.
HCPD officers, along with Maryland State Police and other agencies, will continue to search out and disband the illegal car rallies but residents and business owners are encouraged to call 911 if they see a rally happening.
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