BATON ROUGE — Tire marks still cover the roadway after nearly 10 separate street racing calls late Sunday night into early Monday morning. Three people were arrested, one was ticketed, and a vehicle was impounded related to the late-night incident.
Baton Rouge Police responded between midnight and 3 a.m. on August 17 to multiple locations across the city, including Lobdell Avenue, South and North Acadian Thruway, Choctaw Drive, Airline Highway, and Old Hammond Highway.
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The incident on Old Hammond Highway occurred directly in front of the Emergency Medical Services building and was caught on camera. Video shows a crowd gathering around 12:40 a.m. and remaining for roughly 25 minutes as multiple drivers performed “donuts” in the roadway, bringing traffic to a complete stop. The footage also shows two vehicles backed into the EMS driveway, with one of the drivers taking part in the racing.
A viewer later sent UWK photos showing the tire marks left behind from the event.
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“We will not tolerate our roadways and drivers being held hostage as these streets racers stop traffic all while they’re trying to impress with their cars,” BRPD Chief T.J. Morse said. “If anyone comes upon street racing or is aware of a planned time and location, please reach out to us or call Crime Stoppers and report it anonymously.”
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Street racing, also known as drag racing, violates city-parish ordinances, and Baton Rouge Police officers along with East Baton Rouge deputies say they will hold offenders accountable. The problem has grown in recent years, prompting major crackdowns and action from the Metro Council to help strengthen city-parish laws.
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