Another illegal “street takeover” in California became disastrous when a driver lost control of a pickup truck while attempting stunts and plowed into a crowd of onlookers.
The chaotic incident took place on Friday night at one of Los Angeles’s notoriously unruly intersections, known as a hub for such criminal activities, the Daily Mail reported.
In shocking footage livestreamed on the platform Kick, a silver truck can be seen doing “donuts” around a trash-can fire in the middle of Normandie and West Gage Avenues as approximately 100 people stood dangerously close to the reckless driving.
On one of the high-speed turns, the driver appeared to lose control and drove into a large group of people watching from the side of the intersection.
The remainder of the crowd can then be immediately seen running over to record the crash with their phones while shouting.
“Oh my God…oh my God,” the individual behind the livestream can be heard saying.
“It hit like three people,” a witness said into the camera.
The clip ends with multiple men climbing on top of the truck, with others warning that the driver was trying to back up.
“Watch out, back up! He’s gonna back up on y’all,” one man yelled.
Street takeovers have become increasingly common in California and all over major U.S. cities, with several resulting in severe injuries and deaths.
While it’s unclear if anyone was hurt in the most recent incident, most injuries go “unreported” to law enforcement, according to the Daily Mail.
In July 2023, the same intersection was made victim to another out-of-control takeover when agitators set off fireworks and a driver crashed into a parked vehicle dangerously close to spectators, NBC Los Angeles reported.
In another incident last March, a man was hit by a stunt driver at the same intersection during one of these takeovers, CBS News reported. When the Los Angeles Police Department arrived at the scene, the man was gone. Police believe he may have been taken to the hospital before they got there.
Just last weekend, a fiery scene took place at another Los Angeles intersection that resulted in a Jeep being set ablaze in the middle of the road.
Jaw-dropping cell phone video obtained by ABC7 shows the moment the vehicle lights up after a man poured gasoline on and inside the hood.
As the Jeep burned in the intersection of Inglewood’s 63rd Street and Crenshaw Boulevard, another car performed donuts around it in front of another large crowd.
“Police estimate 50 cars were involved in the street takeover,” the local outlet reported. “No injuries were reported and no arrest has been made.”
The Los Angeles City Council is taking action to put a stop to these dangerous events, voting 12-to-1 in February to launch a pilot program at 20 intersections, including Normandie and Gage.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is also requesting that cameras be installed at street corners,” the Daily Mail reports. “The program is still in development, with officials aiming to identify 30 more intersections in the coming months.”
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