AURORA – A portion of a highway in a Denver suburb was temporarily shut down after hundreds of street racers and cruisers formed a gridlock over the weekend, highlighting a growing concern over street racing, police said.
The Aurora Police Department reported that up to 800 drivers were racing and cruising between a 2-mile stretch on Interstate 225 around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, The Sentinel reported.
“It is likely the group will continue engaging in street racing in various areas tonight,” the department said in a post on Twitter. “Officers continue to try to manage the situation.”
No details of tickets or arrests were made available Monday. No injuries were reported.
City officials said last month they would consider establishing strict regulations against street racing after an increase in the high-speed activity in the last year.
It has been difficult for police to respond to illegal speed contests across the region, authorities said.
“These groups and organizations are large and becoming more sophisticated. They are brazen, and they are emboldened with their actions. They are utilizing social media sites and live feeds to promote their illegal street racing,” Police Traffic Lt. Mike Hanifin said. “Law enforcement in general in the metro area and along the Front Range … are severely outnumbered and at a significant disadvantage.”
Council members and authorities have considered introducing a measure that would allow police to seize vehicles engaged in street racing. No such measure has been introduced yet. Currently, penalties include trespassing, reckless driving or careless driving charges, none of which deter racers, Hanifin said.
“When we are able to stop people, when they don’t run from us, we issue a summons and they plead guilty – they don’t even argue,” he said. “They just pay the fine because it’s not a deterrent for them.”
Racers can also be charged with misdemeanor citations for “exhibition of a speed contest,” which can carry up to a year in jail and fines up to $1,000. It is unclear how many citations were issued in Aurora last year.